Nesting Swans, 2013 - A Photo Essay
This pair of mute swans picked an ideal nesting spot as far as photography goes. They were in the bay right at the Shipyards residential development in Collingwood, Ontario. Passersby, (and there were more each day), had a great view from the walking paths, but were separated from the swans by a narrow stretch of water. The swans had a sheltered area on a rocky berm, and although they were quite aware of human presence, appeared to feel protected by the water. I was able to observe them courting, mating and building a nest.
The incubation period for mute swan eggs is 42 days. After the 30+ day mark we were hit by several days of rain, sleet, snow and very high winds. I visited the swans on Mother’s Day and my heart broke to watch the pair frantically trying to shore up the nest against the rising waters. The following morning’s visit revealed the nest had completely washed away!
The pair hung around the same area and as you can guess from the last photos in the series, looked like they wanted to try this again. Unfortunately I saw no evidence to indicate that they had mated a second time.
Read MoreThe incubation period for mute swan eggs is 42 days. After the 30+ day mark we were hit by several days of rain, sleet, snow and very high winds. I visited the swans on Mother’s Day and my heart broke to watch the pair frantically trying to shore up the nest against the rising waters. The following morning’s visit revealed the nest had completely washed away!
The pair hung around the same area and as you can guess from the last photos in the series, looked like they wanted to try this again. Unfortunately I saw no evidence to indicate that they had mated a second time.
