'The Swan Family.'
I was delighted to discover this family of Black Swans at the beginning of Spring a couple of years ago. I enjoyed observing their interaction with one another and found it difficult to take my eyes off the two fluffy siblings who spent most of their time mimicking their parents as they fed on water plants beneath the surface of the lake.
After applying this colourful digital effect to my original photos it is hard to recognize that they are a family of Black Swans. The Black Swans (Cynus Atratus) are native to Australia and are often seen on extensive shallow stretches of water, both fresh and salt. Black Swans build their nests on vegetation on water and this family live at North Lakes in Queensland, Australia.
Mother and baby glide across the surface of the water so gracefully whilst creating their own version of 'Swan Lake.' It was truly mesmerizing.
If the babies strayed too far from their parents, they were quick to gather them close to keep a protective eye on them. Black swans are large, nomadic waterbirds with erratic migration patterns. Their red bills are a beautiful contrast to their black feathers. The female and male swans share incubation and cygnet rearing responsibilities.
Black Swans make a sound similar to a bugle which is carried long distances. They also make softer crooning noises and can even whistle. Their long necks are either arched or erect when swimming and when flying, a wedge of black swans will form as a line or in a V shape.
They are mainly herbivorous, based on aquatic and marshland plants. Submerged algae makes up a large part of their diet when living in wetlands areas.
Cygnets spend only one day in the nest after they are hatched so they obviously develop early survival instincts. Although they swim virtually from birth, they do enjoy riding on their parents back occasionally and often shelter under their parents wings when swimming.
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