- Joined
- Feb 20, 2017
- Messages
- 767
- Reaction score
- 1,075
- Location
- Orland Park, IL
- Website
- www.nagelphotography.com
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
I returned to Lake Katherine to photograph the baby swans yesterday. At this point, the cygnets were 8 days old. While I was there, I captured some photograph of other birds--a Canada goose and a mallard duck.
1- It is quite challenging to isolate a cygnet in a photograph. It is rare for one to wander any distance from the others. But, an opportunity for this picture finally presented itself after about an hour into the photo session!
2- There are six cygnets in total...and one unhatched egg in the nest. Fortunately, all six were still alive yesterday. It isn't unusual for a few to fall to a predator in this early stages of life. I'm told the turtles are one of the main predators at Lake Katherine.
3- This is the cob, or male mute swan. His wing span is about 8 feet. He is quite intimidating and aggressively chases away nearly anything that approaches--geese, people and even small dogs. He was fine with me as long as I stayed ten feet or more away and low to the ground.
4- The pen, or female mute swan, stayed still for long enough for me to capture a detailed image of her feathers.
5- I'm not a fan of the Canada geese as they can be a real nuisance in our neighborhoods. But, I like the background enough to take this portrait.
6- I noticed that the baby swans are already bigger than they were when I visited last (when they were 5 days old). This seemed most noticeable in that their necks appeared a bit longer.
7- A male mallard duck
8- I will have to spend a lot more time with these swans to capture a suitable family portrait. No matter how long I waited, the 8 of them would just not all look into the camera at once!
I really enjoyed spending time out at this lake with the swans...especially during the coronavirus restrictions that we are under here in the state of Illinois.
Thanks again for looking...
Glenn
1- It is quite challenging to isolate a cygnet in a photograph. It is rare for one to wander any distance from the others. But, an opportunity for this picture finally presented itself after about an hour into the photo session!
2- There are six cygnets in total...and one unhatched egg in the nest. Fortunately, all six were still alive yesterday. It isn't unusual for a few to fall to a predator in this early stages of life. I'm told the turtles are one of the main predators at Lake Katherine.
3- This is the cob, or male mute swan. His wing span is about 8 feet. He is quite intimidating and aggressively chases away nearly anything that approaches--geese, people and even small dogs. He was fine with me as long as I stayed ten feet or more away and low to the ground.
4- The pen, or female mute swan, stayed still for long enough for me to capture a detailed image of her feathers.
5- I'm not a fan of the Canada geese as they can be a real nuisance in our neighborhoods. But, I like the background enough to take this portrait.
6- I noticed that the baby swans are already bigger than they were when I visited last (when they were 5 days old). This seemed most noticeable in that their necks appeared a bit longer.
7- A male mallard duck
8- I will have to spend a lot more time with these swans to capture a suitable family portrait. No matter how long I waited, the 8 of them would just not all look into the camera at once!
I really enjoyed spending time out at this lake with the swans...especially during the coronavirus restrictions that we are under here in the state of Illinois.
Thanks again for looking...
Glenn
Last edited:
