Silent Sunday: Softly, Softly

two swan parents in the river with their eight-month old cygnet
a swan parent and cygnet in the river
an eight-month old cygnet with droplets on her head

Our swan parents have been encouraging the remaining two cygnets to leave the nest and spread their wings. One fledged over a week ago and the above cygnet is still here.

The adults continue to gently persuade her to leave and assure her that she’s ready. It’s very moving to watch. The cygnet is now eight months old and it’s the first time we have seen one stay with its parents for so long. It’s also the first time in more than ten years we have had a very cold Winter.

Wishing you all a blessed Sunday and a peaceful week ahead,

with love from Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60 HS, Settings: f/5 – 1/640 s – ISO 200, f/5 – 1/320 s – ISO 100 and f/5.6 – 1/250 s – ISO 200.

I am deeply honoured and delighted to be interviewed by the lovely Bella from ThoughtsnLivesBlog about my photography and poetry for her Let’s Get Inspired Series. Part 2 has just been published and focuses on my poetry and publication journey. Part 1 of the interview was published last week and if you missed it you can read it here.

Silent Sunday

Lens-Artists Weekly Photo Challenge #137: Soft

Author: Tranature - quiet moments in nature

The stories, poems and photographs on Tranature are the original creative work of Xenia Tran, inspired by the natural surroundings of the Scottish Highlands.

36 thoughts on “Silent Sunday: Softly, Softly”

  1. Always moving to see young ones move on. We have the same feeling when we see red squirrels venture from their nest, a hole in a tree. At first they are skittish, hurrying back whenever there is a loud sound. But the day comes when they leave for good, and that day will come for the cygnet.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Laurie, it must be lovely to see the squirrels find their feet in the big wide world 💚 xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Tina, the parents have been very gentle in their encouragement so far. We will keep you posted on what happens next 💚 xxx

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    1. Thank you kindly dear Eliza, it will soon be time for them to make a new nest and they have already started bonding again 💚

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Cathy, she’s a lovely cygnet and her parents have done a wonderful job raising her 💚 Enjoy the rest of your evening and much love from our house to yours 🤗💕🐕 xxx

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    1. Thank you kindly dear Karina, it sure looks that way. This is their first brood and they’ve done a wonderful job raising the cygnets 💚 xxx

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  9. Those photos are magic! That cygnet will have to leave the security of home soon. Another generation will be on the way and then what? We used to have a place on a lake with Common Loons and each year we would watch the babies arrive and they travelled on their parents backs until ready to paddle on their own. Then they were flying. The parents would leave by October and they left the young ones behind. But soon enough they too took flight. Apparently they send a few years away before coming to a lake inland to have their families.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Anne 💗 It’s interesting to see how the loons leave their offspring behind whilst they fly off themselves. The swans hang on to their nesting site and encourage their offspring to leave. The cygnets then join a flock of juveniles for a few years before they are ready to find a mate and start a family themselves 💚 xxx

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  10. Beautiful captures, Xenia! I feel my heart tugging now for the cygnet wanting to stay. I’ve watched the last Osprey chick in a nest do this, longer than normal, had me worried. And, finally one day, gone! 🙂 Hope and prayers your gal’s instinct kicks in, and she’s off to live her life safely and healthy! 😊

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Donna and lovely to hear the Osprey chick fledged safely in the end. Hope and Prayers the cygnet will soon fledge safely too 💜🙏 xxx

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words dear Dries. It’s interesting to see the different personalities among the cygnets and the one still here has always been the most gentle of the three 💛

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