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Love
is dead ... No, no. Not Brangelina
splitting up. We're talking about a pair of swans at the Wildfowl
and Wetlands Trust Centre at Slimbridge, England.
Swans are famous for mating for life, but this year a male swan named Sarindi (the cad!!!) turned up in an annual migration from Arctic Russia with a new female. Perhaps not to be outdone, Sarind's ex Saruni also showed up with a new mate:
Julia Newth, wildlife health research officer at Slimbridge, said the situation had taken staff by surprise.
She said swans tended to have "real loyalties to one another" and long partnerships.
"As long as they are both still alive, they will try to stay together. If they have a change of mate it is perhaps because of mortality, not necessarily through choice," she said.
In this case, however, both swans and their new partners are now over-wintering in close proximity on the lake at Slimbridge.
Ms Newth said the old pair had not acknowledged each other with any signs of recognition or greeting - even though they are occupying the same part of the small lake.
Oh well, it's not like they have 8 kids together or anything ... Next stop for the swans: Divorce Registry! Link
English artist Ian Davie has a unique canvas for his artwork: discarded swan quills. His feather drawings are absolutely fantastic:
Using feathers collected during the regal birds’ annual moult from a swannery near to his home, Ian has spent the past four years perfecting his craft.
After cleaning the often dirty quills and individually straightening them out with tweezers, Mr Davie, 44, who lives in a converted farmhouse in Snowdonia National Park, Wales, then begins the arduous process of painting onto the swans discarded feathers.
He said: ‘I already have sketched what I want to achieve before the painting begins.
‘I only have a canvas that is around one foot long and around three inches wide so I have to know exactly the course my painting will take.
Link | Ian Davie’s website (Photo: Ian Davie / Barcroft Media)
