A Close Look at a Swan
Introduction
The photograph on this page of A Close Look at a Swan by David Dixon as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Image: © David Dixon Taken: 20 Apr 2020
The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a very large white waterbird. It has a long S-shaped neck and an orange bill with black at the base of it. It breeds across most of the UK and may be seen anywhere there is a shallow lake, or a slow-flowing river or canal, even in urban areas and parks. This swan and its mate were on the canal at the winding hole near Water Street, close to Radcliffe town centre. Its mate was swimming a few metres away. Mute Swans are less vocal than other swans but, despite the name, they are certainly not “mute”, making a variety of grunting, hoarse whistling, and snorting noises.