Looking Again. A Mute Swan

  

Ogden, Northern Utah.  March 2024

Generally, life is good.

A Rescued Mute Swan - II.

My first encounter with a Mute Swan took place three days ago on a rainy cold morning. I was walking in our local park and saw behind the fence a big large bird.  Is this the same swan I photographed six year ago? No, it's impossible...

At this precise moment I forgot about my walk, about rain that was getting more heavy and persistent, I rushed to the Dinosaur park office to ask for permission to spend time with the Swan and photograph it the next day.

I don't know what the park employees thought about me when I stormed into office excited and out of breath.  Luckily, they didn't take me for a madwoman and allowed me to enter the park the next day without paying an entrance fee.  

I was happy and thought that sometimes life surprises me with wonderful gifts, like a birdsong, light breeze, a smile of a stranger and an opportunity to photograph the most elegant and majestic bird on Earth, a Mute Swan.

Unfortunately, the situation is very sad.  The rescued Mute Swan found itself in the unknown environment and without its pair.  The bird is injured and no one knows how long it will take for the Swan to recover, if ever.

Hopefully, the Mute Swan I met two days ago will live a long and healthy life.

Generally, life is good!

A Rescued Mute Swan - I.

Six years ago exactly on the same day, October 20th,  I photographed a rescued Trumpeter Swan in our local Dinosaur Park.  The Swan was injured and was recovering.  As soon as he recovered he left the park.

This morning I was allowed to photograph another rescued Swan who happened to be a Mute Swan.

Apparently, the Swan cannot fly and it walks slowly. His companions are only Mallard ducks.  

Swans shouldn't be alone because they don't do well when they don't have a companion.  Should I say that separation makes them less swan-like?

The staff at the Dinosaur park is trying to find a companion for this Swan. I wish they would succeeded at it.

I spent two hours this morning with the Swan and realized it only when I got back home. At some point the time stopped and everything suddenly receded in the background. There were no more disturbing thoughts, no stress, just a big beautiful bird and I.  

Photographing the Swan I tried to keep the safe distance so as not to stress the bird. After a while I started to feel that the Mute Swan and I became friends. Of course, it was just an illusion...

Generally, life is good!

to be continued...