A morning with a family of Mute Swans

 

6am. On my way to the lake this morning to enjoy this wonderful place for a couple of hours before going to work. Early morning is my favorite time of the day to go there. There is nobody but a couple of fishermen and a few joggers. It is beautiful and quiet (as soon as you are able to focus on the peacefulness of the lake and forget about the traffic jam along the Quai Gustave Ador right behind you ;)) ; bastically it is the perfect moment to contemplate the stunning birds you can easily find there: Mute Swans, Grey Herons, Red-crested Pochards, Great Crested Grebes, Common Coots, Little Grebes, Yellow-legged Gulls, Mallards, Black-headed Gulls, Great Cormorans, Common Mergansers, Ringed Teals...

And this morning, there was even a Common Kingfisher flying low above the water! It is only the second time I see one on this part of the lake. Unfortunately it went way too fast so I could have time to get a picture.

7am. Flights of Great Cormorants arrive flying from the West in V shape and land on the water right by the lighthouse of the Pâquis. Such a stunning sight! Right after I spotted 2 Grey Herons fighting on the lake shore for a few minutes. The way they walked to intimidate each other was fascinating.

8am. Walking along the lake I head to Baby Plage,  a spot that is really special to me. I love to sit there and watch. After a few minutes, a whole family of Mute Swans arrived. The parents and 2 Cygnets, beautifully lit up by the first rays of sun reaching the beach. The parents were showing the cygnets how to feed, but they were also protecting them from other swans, putting up their famous intimidating display. They left after a while, but quickly came back, Dad leading the way.

Mute Swans family

Once again it was a perfect way to start the day before going to work. I hope you have a great one.

Love Nature.
Jonathan