Love Birds
Two swans greeting each other near Marchand, Manitoba.
As I made my way to the middle of the field to capture a bevy of swans feeding in the midst of a gaggle of geese, I heard a noise behind and above me. Coming in to land were two more swans, wings out-stretched, calling out to the others that were on the ground. As they came to rest on the ground, the two swans began the dance.
Between winter and spring can be an “ugly” time for photographers. The snow is no longer crisp and white leaving the landscape a bit dull. The skies are often grey and for a photographer it can be a very discouraging time to take photos. This past year we never did have a lot of snow and before spring really hit I wanted to get out with my camera. I had seen a few Canada Geese flying so my thought was to go out and look for other migratory birds that I could capture. My search took me out to the east and north of Marchand.
I found a field with hundreds of geese, a few crows, and in the centre a few majestic swans scavenging for remnant kernels of corn. Grabbing my camera, I made my way to toward the birds to get a closer look. I didn’t want to disturb them so would walk a few metres and then wait to see if I was creating any anxiety with the birds.
When I got fairly close to the puddle that was providing the drinking water for the swans, I heard another pair coming in for a landing. The dance and display that happened once they landed was fascinating. The two faced each other calling out, beating their wings, and even doing what looked like grooming. I snapped a few photos and found this one where their bodies formed a beautiful valentine heart.
I watched a little while longer and the brief greeting ritual quickly dissolved into grazing and drinking. I felt like I had been given access to a special ritual between the birds.
As humans, we too are a very social species and as such have some fascinating greeting rituals of our own. It may come in the names we call each other, a touch, a kiss, or even our posture. Having done work in helping cultures understand each other, we sometimes get frustrated when someone violates our expected norms when it comes to greeting. Those of us that grew up in “warmer” cultures may feel that people are unfriendly because we were not greeted with an embrace or at minimum a verbal welcome. Others from “colder” cultures might be overwhelmed with a warm greeting.
No matter your embedded traditions, may this photo remind you that we greet those around us and remind them that they are important to us.
