The Tundra Swan

A creature both sublime and graceful, I would be hard pressed to come up

with a more ideal display of majestic beauty than the Tundra Swan in flight. 

Our mild winter has jump-started the spring bird migration here in eastern North America, and among our many avian friends that are winging their way Northward is the strikingly magnificent Tundra Swan.  They will stop here briefly before heading to their breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic. Come autumn, they’ll make the return trip to their wintering grounds along the Atlantic coast, traveling as far as South Carolina. That’s a one-way flight of nearly 3500 miles and it’s a trip they make twice a year.

Believed to mate for life, Tundra Swans pair up for nearly a year
 before the mating process begins.

With breeding season drawing near we begin to see

 fervent displays of affection and courtship.

Their "heart" of love for one another is on display for all to see.

Having taken a much needed respite on a farm field in Pembroke, these
 Tundra Swans are again taking to the skies en route to the far North. 

I derive a good deal of enjoyment from nature, both in the beauty found therein and its awe-inspiring moments. But even more than that, I’ve learned to appreciate it's stark reality – a world unto itself that’s as real as it gets - no hidden agendas, just a biological drive to procreate and sustain the species’. Having gazed upon the Tundra Swans and listened to their calls, it would appear that a good deal of affection certainly helps the process.  As Job reminds us; Just ask the animals and they will teach you.  Ask the birds of the sky and they will tell you. Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you. In His hand is the life of every creature.  My eyes have seen all this.  My ears have heard and understood it.  

Until Next Time,

Jim & Claudia