Thursday, December 23, 2010

"Seven Swans Asinging!"

Even though these swans were actually laughing at me, I knew that this photo would come in handy when I had absolutely nothing to post during the holidays. These birds are migrating to their wintering grounds on Chesapeake Bay. Migrating during the day and night, their trumpeting calls are heard at a great distance as they fly along in V-formation. The swans can achieve speeds up to 100 miles per hour with a tail wind. Enough factual stuff. This particular group actually sticks around the area through December performing at various Holiday events. On many evenings you can find these guys hanging out with a Partridge, some Colly Birds, French Hens, Geese and a couple of Turtle Doves at one of the local saloons on the Wisconsin side of The River. The dancing and milking chicks along with those leaping lords do their thing to the piping and drumming on the Minnesota side. The last time they all gathered in the same joint all hell broke loose. One of the leaping lords got goosed and a turtle dove got shelled while some of the maids got tangled up trying to milk the bagpipes. Since then they are only allowed to get together for performances of their signature song and then for no more than twelve days. Then it's "take your gold rings and get outta town!". With that explained I'll pack up my bag of goodies and head off to wonderland for a dose of hot chocolate and some of the leftover cookies Santa couldn't finish.

Easy to see how a mistake could be made in a dimly lit bar!