Mute Swan

I love swans, they are such regal and graceful birds and walking along the canal near Garstang I spotted this solitary bird swimming between the boats which were moored along the canal side. 

I approached to take a few pictures and getting down low to get the shot the swan made the most unusual noise, a rasping sound that made me think it had something stuck in its throat. It seemed friendly at first but as I leaned forward to get a better angle it lunged forward a couple of times almost hitting the lens so after a few shots I left the swan to itself and went for a brief but very pleasant walk along the canal and a happy ending to my day out.

How Lovely Was the Morning...

Having just uploaded my pictures from yesterday I have chosen two to post here today, the autumn colours were quite vivid and I was able to take a number of photos which highlighted the brilliance of the early morning light and the different shades of green and yellow leaves and over the next few days I will post some of those pictures.

In the first picture today I like the way the early sun is casting through the upright pines and onto the bracken on the forest floor.  It was taken at 7.42.am. before the sun was properly up and so the colours are quite muted.  It was so peaceful and quiet with the only sounds being the birds and the slight breeze in the treetops.  I have cropped this picture slightly as in the original there was a little too much of the bracken in the foreground, with the crop I think the image is more balanced.

The second photo, of the bench, is one that I really like.  As I walked along the path I came across this spot, it was pleasantly warm facing into the sun, it felt like a good place to stop and enjoy the quiet of the early morning.  Having taken this photo I sat for a few minutes and absorbed the atmosphere before continuing my walk.

I was so glad I chose to go out early and I hope the pictures that I share over the next few days give you a sense of how wonderful it was.

Canon EOS 6D 24-105mm f4 @ 24.2mm f10 ISO 20,000  1/40s

Canon EOS 6D 24-105mm f4 @ 97mm f8 ISO 4000 1/40s