I visited Werribee Western Treatment Plant again last week and was pleased when one Black Swan didn’t skedaddle with the others when I crept towards it in my vehicle.
Black Swan – (Cygnus atratus)
1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 200, focal length 375mm
Black Swans are exquisitely graceful as they glide on smooth waters, and comically ungainly when they waddle on land but I particularly like watching them preen. There is something gentle and peaceful about they way they curve their necks to nudge their bills amongst their feathers. I like the way the image above shows the different feathers of the head, neck and body as well as a hint of the downy feathers that help insulate the swan.
Black Swan – (Cygnus atratus)
1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 200, focal length 350mm
It was the eye and the texture of the bill that interested me in the above image. I wonder why so many birds at Werribee are skittish, especially as it is a protected area visited predominantly by staff and bird watchers. Regardless of that it is one of my favourite places.
Last winter I took some images of Black Swan cygnets, click on Mid-winter cygnets if you’d like to see some tufty-headed little darlings.
I hope you get to visit your favourite places this week.
Happy birding, Kim
PS The Equipment page has been updated to include the 5D Mark III and various other items.
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Hi Kim,
Like the compressed look of the pics and those feathers look sensational; like a mass of black petals. Just walked back into my room and saw the last image from some metres away and felt it was even more impressive from a distance than having the screen right in front of me – I hadn’t thought to view images like that before.
Thanks Rick! I love your comparison with petals. That’s an interesting thought about viewing the images from further away, I’ll try it. Though the thought does remind me of the line in Tootsie where they are trying to make Dustin look more attractive and the cameraman suggests pulling back to Cleveland 🙂
Hello Kim,
The sharpness of eyes swan is very beautiful !
Thank you for your sharing !!!!
kiss
Thank you Nathalie, like EC said red eye isn’t always bad after all 🙂
Beautiful photos as always, feel like I could reach out and touch him. I do so enjoy receiving your updates. Hopefully I will be able to show you our completed splashback soon, so looking forward to seeing my splashback with your amazing kookaburras.
So glad you like the images Raewyn and I’m really lookinig forward to seeing photographs of your splashback, it’s such a brilliant idea!
One of your beautiful photos as always. I do so enjoy receiving your updates. Hopefully I will be able to show you our completed splashback soon
Hi Raewyn, somehow I missed this message, my sincere apologies. I often think about your beautiful kookaburra splashback, you are so creative
Amazing closeups! Well done! Happy Birding!
Thank you Eileen, have a great weekend!
lovely, these are the main bird on the swan river in Perth, they are gorgeous animals
They really are gorgeous, it sounds perfect to see them in their own river!
Ooh it’s feathers look like silk! I love how you can see both layers in the first pic. Beautiful!
I wonder if they feel like silk too, I expect they do. So glad you like the images, thanks for letting me know x
Gorgeous things – despite the serrated beaks they use on visitors to our lake side who arrive without treats for them. Thank you. Red-eye in photography isn’t always a bad thing is it?
Haha re re-eye, I hadn’t thought of that! When the Swans were playing the Hawks last year people were saying that hawks are fiercer than swans, obviously they weren’t birders.
Love reading your colourful commentaries, and of course, great photos as always! We look forward to ‘lirralirra’.
Aw thank you Jenni, that’s lovely to know!