I spent an entire season photographing a family of mute swans (with five babies). The cygnets were born in about May, I think, and within a month or so the parents were letting the babies climb into my lap. By July of that year the adults would let me stroke their necks. Of course I sat with them for months, many hours a day. I got "charged" a few times when the babies were on land and the adults were in the water--they'd swim at me full speed if I tried to touch one of the young ones--they came at me like motorboats. But they always backed down. Though I think if they hadn't, I probably would have :) The worst thing they did was to steal food out of my hand on a regular basis--my food.
That really is incredible.Swans aren't usually very friendly.
ReplyDeleteI spent an entire season photographing a family of mute swans (with five babies). The cygnets were born in about May, I think, and within a month or so the parents were letting the babies climb into my lap. By July of that year the adults would let me stroke their necks. Of course I sat with them for months, many hours a day. I got "charged" a few times when the babies were on land and the adults were in the water--they'd swim at me full speed if I tried to touch one of the young ones--they came at me like motorboats. But they always backed down. Though I think if they hadn't, I probably would have :) The worst thing they did was to steal food out of my hand on a regular basis--my food.
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