Swan Pond
These are from the other set of the photographs that I took beside the pond behind the Red Barn Market grocery store on West Saanich Road last weekend. A few days ago I posted images taken at the margins of the pond, mostly of plants caught against the backdrop of a rusty tank. Today’s sets look across the pond at swans (mostly) from beside that rusty tank. This post is for my wife who is especially happy when I take pictures of birds.
I went to this location to see if the Trumpeter Swans were within reach of my longest lens (200mm). They mostly were not, though some fairly heavy cropping brought them more or less into view. I am not a bird photographer and I don’t have a sufficiently long lens to adequately compensate for my lack of skill at staying still and out of sight. So, these are more about the context of the winter habitat where the swans come to stay every year than they are of bird details.
Photos taken at ISO 640 with SMC Takumar m42 200m/f4 various shutter speeds with f-stops ranging from f8 to f4.
As I said in the earlier post, the best news from this outing was how to set up my camera to get satisfactory results with the 200mm lens, and thus that my earlier concerns were the result of operator error and not some issue with the lens itself.
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burnt embers 
These are very very beautiful! Definitely a treat to my eyes, 🙂
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Thank you Nandini
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Well done, my friend, I think it’s a great set!
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Thanks Toad. It was nice to hang out at the edge of the pond on New Years Day when the market was closed and no one was around. Quiet and peaceful, except for bagpipes being played outside the Unitarian Church across the street for some inexplicable reason.
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This is a great series of shots. I love to photograph swans but I have never caught one (much less 3) in flight. They seem to be pretty lazy around the Lake where they tend to congregate.
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These swans seemed a bit on edge. There were many fewer than usual at the pond and they were all concentrated at one end too, when they are usually spread out. This flight was just up and around and they landed again a few minutes later.
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Very nice compositions and photos Ehpem!
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Thank you David
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Beautiful! Birds are so fun to photograph, aren’t they?
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Hi Danita – they are indeed. I especially like the little ones, but they are so quick and small that they evade good photos, from me.
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Very nice colors and composition, especially the first photo. Here, every winter, trumpeter swans congregate in Cowichan Bay and on some meadows after they turn into winter lakes.
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Hello Joseph – thank you so much. I expect that we share the trumpeter swans – they occassionally disappear from this pond, and its not that far to your area, as the swan flies.
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Beautiful colors. You sure live in a photographers paradise.
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Hi David, until I started taking pictures I had not fully appreciated the photographer’s paradise part, though all the other aspects that make this a fantastic place to live came home to me when living in big cities.
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Very nice. What’s the taller burgundy shrub in the background of the 4-swans-in-flight image? Is it Red Osier Dogwood? We have that in Michigan, but I’m not sure you have it there. The reddish-brown shoreline weeds that aren’t as tall are also a mystery to me. Maybe it’s because you don’t have hard frosts there, but you’ve sure got a lot more color in the foliage than we do at this time of year. I’m envious as hell … 🙂
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Hi Doug. That is private property over there so I can’t actually look. But, red osier dogwood is very common here and that would be my guess as well. A terrific plant – most pleasing in the winter. The reddish brown clumps are some kind of low shrub. I think that the small clump I focussed on with out of focus geese taking off in background is more of the same. I would have to look at them in the spring to see what they are. If I remember, I will go for a look. There is a lot of colour from the red buds on some of the plants too – they are being prematurely enthusiastic this year. You can see that in one or two of my other photos taken this day but posted earlier in the week, like this one. This is a pretty special place, but the colour is not atypical if you are looking for it.
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That pond dries up in summer. Where do the swans go? How about another pic in May “The Last Swan to Leave” or “Time to be heading home”.
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The swans most likely head north to Alaskan breeding grounds. Someone probably has banded them and knows for sure, but I have not tried to find out. I am not sure I want to camp out here waiting for the last swan to leave – I bet there are a lot of biting insects right here when it warms up a bit. Also, I bet it would have to be “The Last Swans to Leave” – I can’t imagine one lingering behind, they seem to go everywhere in groups.
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This one is so beautiful …. the winter vegetation highlighting the swans in flight. Its a winner, g
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Hi geomack – nice to have you visiting. For me the winter vegetation is what makes this shot. In many ways the one without the swans is my favourite.
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Those are beautiful!
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Hey Rumpydog – thanks for coming by my blog, and for commenting. Glad you like them.
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