Black Swan

[Gill Bilcliffe]

At Whitlingham Lake in Norwich today we spotted a black swan. He was beautiful pure black with a red beak. His wings were fluted and I believe when flying his wing feathers are white. We could see white feathers under the fluted black feather display. Unfortunately the camera was left at home! I hope to go back to the lake tomorrow in the hope of finding the swan there.

Another sighting of a flock of geese or ducks swimming in a line to the end of the lake . Alot of squawking and they took flight. Bye bye ducks see you all next year.

[gloria townsin]

How lovely, don't think I've ever seen a black swan 'in the flesh' so to speak.

[Kath Mulligan]

I've only ever seen one and that was many years at the Swannery at Abbotsbury in Dorset. Hope you manage to get some photos of it Gill.

Kath

[jane jackson]

How lovely, I've only see black swans in a zoo which isn't quite the same somehow. Hope you found your swan again today for it's photocall.

[Janet Swan]

I saw a pair of black swans this Summer - I think it was while visiting Regents Park in London - wonderful creatures.

Janet

[Chris Geoffrey]

When I was little I remember black swans at Dawlish, I wonder if there are still some there? Feels like Autumn when you see the Canada Geese flying out in the evening and back in the morning to and from a lake near my partners house in Surrey.... all summer there have been hundreds on the lake...

Taking the dogs for a walk the other afternoon we got so many blackberries and the Sloe's are looking good - he's great at making Sloe Gin. He makes one bottle and stores it for Christmas the following year. It has become a tradition to have a little glass at the end of Christmas Day.

[Gill Bilcliffe]

We went back to the lake this afternoon and walked the distance around it which takes about an hour. No sign of the black swan but on our way back we called into the information centre and was given the good news the swan had just been spotted. As we walked along we saw him in the middle of the lake looking so proud and beautiful. He came inquisitively up to the shoreline a few feet away and looked at us. We have photos that I will post tomorrow. We were told the swan is a regular visitor but only in the quieter months when Whitlingham is no so busy. A pair of black swans have been spotted there in the past with their family so the swans are regular visitors although we have not seen them before.

An osprey was at the lake recently and a nightingale has been heard by one of the park's rangers. Cormorants line the resting posts within the lake and there are many other birds ducks and geese. It is a joy to visit and just over a mile from home a regular walk in all seasons but Autumn is special.

[jane jackson]

Sounds a really lovely place Gill, glad your swan turned up