Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal
The swans at Øyravatnet, Apr 12 2010
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On June 19 2009, I went up to Lake Øyravatnet (approx. 370m) to see if I could spot the swans I had heard about from a local. I found a small family, counting two adults and four cygnets. The adults had been up here for years, only spending time down by the sea when the lake freezes in winter.
These are Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus, Sangsvaner), and one charming feature is that the adults pair for life. The wetland around Øyravatnet fully satisfies their preferred habitat. The adults have white feathers while the cygnets are greyer.
The swans - June 2009
(Click for larger image)
On April 12 2010, I went back up to see if they still were up there. They were indeed, but the family was reduced by one cygnet. I had brought a zoom lens (it must be two decades old...) and made well sure that I didn't get close enough to disturb them. In fact, I don't think they even noticed that I was there. I will look into them every now and them, so expect updates...
The swans - April 2010
(Click for larger image)
