Mute Swan

It’s a great truth of wildlife photography that a dramatic photo of a common animal is always more interesting than a boring image of the rarest species on earth. It’s all too easy to overlook species we see every day in favour of the unusual but iconic birds like the Mute Swan, although a common sight,  are well worth spending time with.

For me, Mute Swans are the “transformers” of UK wildlife, a bird that appears compact and elegant on the water, moving slowly and gracefully but then explodes into flight, revealing its true size and power. This particular image, taken at Lakeside Country Park near Southampton, attempts to capture that moment of transition as this Swan prepares itself for flight.