If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

Member's gallery
ssheipel said:
1. Mute Swan (orange beak): Beautiful (stuff of faery tales!), invasive and 'destructive' (consumes 4kg of marsh flora daily, mostly by pulling it out of the marsh bed), numbers and range growing they continue to out compete other waterfowl for food and nesting space.
2. Trumpeter Swan (black beak): Beautiful, until recently status was 'near extinction', numbers showing encouraging comeback but still Mute is outcompeting it, wonderful voice, and the sound of air through its wings when it flies is amazing -- a sound that carries clearly more than a mile!

Both shot in Lake Ontario, a small number of the Trumpeters were with a larger group of Mutes (non breeding season so everybody ignoring everybody else :) ). Lake levels are so low there was a rocky 'beach' available to get down to water level -- shot with the Z9 screen flipped up (no room whatsoever to get on my belly to the viewfinder), auto small and animal detect and I just pointed the camera at the birds and followed them and let AF do it's thing. Sadly the Trumpeters were farther from shore (many of the Mutes were too close to get all of a bird in the frame) so missed nice blurry foreground water.

index.php
View attachment 48688View attachment 48689View attachment 48690
Click to expand...
Beautiful Series Steven! Thanks for the info.👍👍👍
 
Member's gallery
Really beautiful shots, especially of the Trumpeter Swan! The lighting, background separation, and strong eye contact make this one a wall hanger. Thanks for the background info as well. Great post!
 
Member's gallery
Activert said:
Beautiful shot. So lucky to have these swan in Ontario. Never seen one in the wild in Quebec. I should move to Ontario.
Click to expand...
In the last 10 years, Trumpeters have reportedly been breeding in Quebec again, their numbers recovering enough, so keep a look out! No need to leave La Belle Province :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.