Last Saturday my cousin-in-law Gloria and I headed up to Fountain Lake. We stopped along the way at Cinquefoil Lake and took some pictures of the Trumpeter Swans. Cinquefoil Lake is where the Ranch gets its water during the summer months. The cows also range up here for a spell.
Hubby and I travelled back up to Cinquefoil the next day because I was wanting to get closer to the swans. As luck would have it they were much closer and I zoomed in to get some pretty good shots of them.
I always thought they were snow geese even though Gloria said they were trumpeter swans (but she’s a Yankie and I always bug her that she says weird things) mind you she says the same to me about my Canadian upbringing. LOL Anyhoo I did a quick search on Google and found out she’s right, I’m wrong, sorry Gloria. :) The Trumpeter swans have black beaks and their beaks are much longer than the snow geese.
Gloria and I stopped at the small campground near the end of Fountain Lake. That’s ice you see because it’s freezing up there and I was so glad I wore my coat and gumboots, yes occasionally I even wear my rubbers off the Ranch!
Gloria standing on the shore.
Fountain Lake is quite a beautiful place and many people come up to ice fish in the winter as well as camp in the summertime.
The water is crystal clear even though the bottom looks kinda yucky.
A few pictures from when Hubby and I drove up on Sunday.
A bulrush (or it’s a cattail) along the shore of Cinquefoil Lake.
An long ago abandoned building with snow still in the trees.
Closer to home and looking up through the trees.
3 comments:
A friend of ours lives a mile south of us, 3/4 of a mile out of town, and raises exotic fowl. He has trumpter swans and one day a few years ago when he wasn't home the swans came to town. My daughter was working at the care home where they showed up at and she called me to identify them. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4661525405147886395&hl=en#
The reason I was so brave and didn't flinch with the camera is because I had my bicycle between me and them. These big birds can be mean. I know people that swear by geese over dogs for protecting their property.
What you call bulrush we call cattail. There is actually another plant that is also called bulrush when you google it.
Moonshadow, that video is too funny! I was actually, not attacked exactly, but advanced on by geese once. A neighbour of my parents had geese and once they got loose. I was walking down the lane to my parents house and they started coming at me not unlike the swan in the video. I had just had a crappy day and wasn't in the mood to take the 2 mile detour that would safely bypass them so I stuck my head out, hunched over, spread my "wings", and stomped one foot wile making a "HUH" sort of sound. I don't know if I frightened them or just confused them but they did back down and allow me to pass.
Your neck of the woods are beautiful Kansas!
You are promoting tourism. Your photos are amazing. That goose looks very scary. Stay away when they are nesting or you could be in big trouble. ab
Post a Comment