Swan Lake

We went to visit a wetland reserve for ducks and swans where they all come to live in the winter time. Some of the birds normally live in the area during the summer when there are all fields for them to nest in, while others of them like the Hooper swans come from as far as Iceland to winter here in the flooded fields. The picture is of a field that has been allowed to be flooded during the winter to prevent the nearby river water from flooding the surrounding towns. The birds take advantage of that, and they also get fed by the nature reserve volunteers daily. We watched the feeding from inside a bird blind overlooking the water. It was very popular with ducks and swans, and right after this picture was taken, loads of swans came flying in to spend the night on the water. The Icelandic swans make the long trip over all water without stopping which takes them about 13 hours flying at 55 miles per hour! They certainly deserve to be fed everyday and enjoy resting on the water!