Tuesday 25 October 2016

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY - Part 1 at Kiltonga Natrue Reserve

Last week  I showed you the birds I saw at the lake near Helen's Tower however today it is the Swans at  Kiltonga Nature Reserve, near Newtownards that I am showing you when I visited it with my Bird Group recently.  There were 2 Adult Swans and hidden beneath trees were 6 cygnets.   The adults were already encouraging their young to find another territory by the aggressive behaviour to the cygnets unlike the ones at Helen's Tower.




These are Gadwall ducks. 
The one above is the male and below is the female.



The cygnets are coming tentatively from under the trees but the male Swan is on their case and trying to get them to move territory and 3 of them, very wisely move into a smaller channel away from both  parents.






Off they go but tomorrow I will show you the rest of the photographs taken at Kiltonga Nature Reserve.  Too many for one post.

I am linking with WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.  

Many thanks for visiting today and also for your comments.

17 comments:

  1. Gorgeous pictures of the swans! The cygnets are almost grown! Favorite picture is eight!! Stunning!

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  2. Tough love.
    I hope you are a little less tired.

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  3. Hi Margaret, I love swans and your images are beautiful. Have a great day. Jo

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  4. Hello Dear Margaret!
    Absolutely wonderful are your photos.
    Swans are very beautiful birds.
    Greetings.
    Lucja

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  5. Beautiful swans!

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  6. These are really beautiful pictures.

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  7. Great photos. Swans are always beautiful but the white ones look especially elegant!

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  8. Interesting behavior. Our swans families stay together and and join with other families to fly to warmer climates. When they cone back, they are just the pair that was here the year before. I assume the chasing off takes place elsewhere ... or maybe isn't even necessary because I have seen young swans pairing off before they even leave in the fall. We had close to twenty swans on the lake last fall ... not so many this year unless I missed it. Great post, Margaret ...

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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  9. Gorgeous birds! Such lovely swans! very interesting details and aspects captured. Many thanks for sharing them with us. Have a great week!

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  10. I do love pictures of the water birds...... Lovely.

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  11. I love the elegance of the swans.

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  12. Lovely photos! Swans are always beautiful

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  13. Swans are beautiful birds, but they do have tempers. Smart cygnets to move on.

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