Elegance in Black and White

My second outing of the year was another trip to Martin Mere Wildfowl and Wetland Centre in Lancashire. This time however I had a couple of my grandchildren with me and so I didn't expect to get that many photos. Much to my surprise though, I took just shy of 140 shots while my eldest grandson also managed to take lots of pictures with his own mini digital camera. It was such a lot of fun.

As well as the birds out on the mere we also went around the collection of more "exotic" species and so I have a nice mix of birds to share, when I get round to editing all of the pictures and sorting out the ones worth posting.

Today here are some shots of a Whooper Swan and Black Swan, you will be able to work out which one is which...

The Whooper Swan is a winter visitor which comes down from its breeding grounds in Iceland. They are so elegant and normally as they swim around they hold their necks straight. In these images the bird has been feeding hence its curved neck. They are an Amber Listed species in terms of their conservation status and they are a Schedule 1 listed bird which means it is illegal to disturb them. They are regular winter visitors to Martin Mere.

The Black Swan is a native of Australia but it is now thriving in New Zealand and in the UK. Their plumage is entirely black except for some flight feathers which are white.

My favourite image today is the second one which is a much softer image as a result of reducing texture and clarity and adding a slight vignette giving a slightly dreamy quality which enhances the elegance of this beautiful bird.

Little Egret

 Here are a couple of shots of a little egret taken at Burton Mere last week. It was a windy day and while this bird looks immaculate with its pristine white plumage when it tuned its head in its search of a meal the wind ruffled its feathers so badly it looked like a different bird altogether. I do have some shots of that but think it would be mean to share them.

Egrets, like their cousins the grey herons feed mainly on fish and small amphibians and snails etc however they have a much more active approach to finding their food. While the heron will stand patiently, perfectly still waiting for something to swim or move within striking distance the egret will walk slowly like a stealthy hunter in search of its prey.

Elegance

 This was a lovely magnolia with the most amazing display of flowers but unlike many other varieties this one didn't have any fragrance. It really is quite elegant though.