My Corner of New Hanover
Swan Lake
Posted by Russ Devan (New Hanover, United States) on 17 March 2009 in Animal & Insect and Portfolio.
...a bevy of Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus) rest peacefully on a lake at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, Lancaster County. The warm, orange cast to these normally all-white birds is due to the sun that was setting behind me.
I never saw so many swans in one area before. It was beauty beyond words to see these magnificent creatures, especially resting peacefully on the water, nearly motionless.
"The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both."
- Zen Buddhist Text
Suzanne from Huntington Bch, California, United States
Marvelous. These swans look like floating lights.
17 Mar 2009 5:49am
Sergei Z from Türi, Estonia
Fantastic! How you forced them to come all together in one place? :-)
17 Mar 2009 9:00am
Pavan Kaul from Mumbai, India
Supremely beautiful with the dark background and water, the warm light just illuminating the birds!
17 Mar 2009 11:15am
Mary from PA, United States
What a sight!! This is wonderful....love the light on the swans!!
17 Mar 2009 11:52am
Monte Stevens from Fort Collins, United States
Excellent! Beautiful and so serene feeling, due to the calm waters and warm glow. Do they migrate here each year?
17 Mar 2009 12:16pm
@Monte Stevens: I'm not a birder, but this wildlife refuge is a stopover for these swans and many other birds during the spring and autumn migrations.
PShorten from West Chester, United States
What a lovely sight. What a wonderful photo.
17 Mar 2009 2:17pm
Viewfinder from Bradenton, FL, United States
Nicely spotted. The lighting's golden cast is wonderful on these swans.
18 Mar 2009 12:57pm
Laurie from New Jersey, United States
WOAH!!! Wow! I have never seen more than 3 swans in one place. This is amazing.
18 Mar 2009 1:54pm
Dan Creighton from Pottstown, United States
You took a potentially chaotic scene at Middle Creek and simplified the elements nicely into a landscape image that tells the story very effectively. Great light and well done Russ.
19 Mar 2009 1:00am
Nikon D70
1/400 second
F/11.0
ISO 400
200 mm