Trumpeter Swans, Mill Creek Ponds, Eastern Iowa
My last visit at the Mill Creek Ponds between La Motte and Bellevue, Iowa was May 21st, 2017, and at that time the Trumpeter Swans were still sitting on the nest. It is hard to believe how fast their five (yes, 5!!) cygnets have grown up to almost adult size. Sure, I have some pictures that show the whole family of seven swans but I like the intimacy of this photo the best. It seemed that the most difficult part today was not light, contrast, or too much distance, but separating the birds from each other in the frame, without cutting off body parts of another swan in the background or at the edge of the photo.