I have a wildlife zoo-Chapter 608 - 607: Swan Boat

After visiting Crane Pavilion, they strolled around Waterfowl Lake!

By the time July arrived, the breeding plumage of the mandarin ducks and mallards had mostly molted, making them look much more plain.

But at this time, the eggs had hatched, and the avian parents had begun to take their chicks out, which was still quite a sight to see.

When Tang Xiaoxin and her group arrived, they happened to see a pair of black swans (or perhaps not) on the opposite shore, near a cluster of reeds, stretching their necks down to their bellies, preening their feathers with their beaks. They gave a gentle flap as they prepared to enter the water.

There were also several chubby, round little grey-black balls of fluff beside them!

One of the black swans stretched out its webbed foot and waddled down the slope covered with dry reeds into the water, shaking its tail contently.

The other, after preening its feathers, looked down at the fluffy balls, stood up, flapped its wings, and sent a few down feathers flying.

Babies, it’s time to swim!

Two of the little fluff balls, seeing their mother already in the water and their father flapping his wings behind them, wobbled down the slope with tiny steps. As soon as they hit the water, they eagerly shook their bodies.

Another little fluff ball had been daydreaming behind its father’s back. Seeing both parents in the water, it hurriedly flapped its wings and scuttled to catch up.

Its wings were still very short, only a tiny bit, making it look like a fuzzy, round, and adorable little penguin!

With a hop on both feet, it leaped over a reed, stretched out its head, looking left and right, then, with a plop, jumped into the water.

"Peep peep! Peep peep!"

The sounds were made with urgency as it paddled hard with its legs to catch up with its parents, and the family glided gently through the water.

On the banks of Waterfowl Lake, a dozen or so elder gentlemen had gathered.

They held cameras, long and short, some with tripods, mounting their SLRs on them, standing or squatting as they observed the family of black swans on the opposite shore.

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Seeing the swans starting to move, they suddenly exclaimed with joy, "They’re up, they’re up! They’re in the water!"

"They’re coming over this way!"

"Such a beautiful sight, look at their size!"

"The little ones are so cute!"

The swans entering the water seemed to be a signal, and the elders snapped to life, lifting their cameras to begin shooting at a rate of twelve frames per second, click-click-click-click-click, like a machine gun firing a burst.

Watching this scene, Tang Xiaoxin turned to Qian Keke and whispered, "These old guys have great stamina! Those cameras look so heavy, I feel like I’d be tired just holding them for a few minutes."

Qian Keke nodded in agreement, "Indeed!"

These elder photographers have a teasing nickname in the photography circles: "Old Mage," and what they love to photograph the most are birds, especially waterfowl. Parrots seem a bit too garish and common for them. Aside from birds, they also enjoy photographing lotus flowers and sunsets.

Therefore, Waterfowl Lake with lotus flowers, black swans, and mandarins is undoubtedly a favorite spot for the Old Mages, and the newly opened Crane Pavilion is also a great place to visit!

The Old Mages are also quite organized, mostly shooting photos in groups.

For them, taking photos may be akin to how young people enjoy flaunting their top-tier cards in mobile games.

Show off their expensive lenses and cameras to their companions, bask in the envious glances that are inadvertently cast their way, post their artistically captured photos with a touch of editing, and then pair them with a poem on social media. It gives them a great sense of achievement.

In fact, for retired old gents, it’s a wonderful hobby! It doesn’t just provide exercise; it also lifts the spirits.

However, some Old Mages lack etiquette; to attract birds, they will throw food as bait. Others throw stones to scare the birds, capturing shots of them flying up and landing on the water in a moment of panic.

They care only about their own enjoyment in taking photos, unmindful of the stress and exhaustion the birds endure from repeatedly being startled, which could lead to stress reactions or even death.

For those Old Mages who don’t behave properly, the zoo is definitely not welcoming. If they don’t heed warnings, they’ll be blacklisted.

After being warned a few times at first, the Old Mages now know the rules and follow them diligently.

If they’re blacklisted and can’t enter the zoo, other places don’t have such nice scenery, and they won’t be able to play happily with their friends.

Two black swan parents glided slowly on the surface of the water, with lush reeds as a backdrop, their black reflections mirrored on the water like glass, occasionally bending their necks to drink with graceful, leisurely movements.

With a gentle push of their big webbed feet, the swans could glide a long way. Compared to their calm and collected demeanor, the baby swans swam with their butts and heads bobbing, rocking left and right in the water, with large movements, like riding on a seesaw.

One could imagine their webbed feet tirelessly churning beneath the water, appearing clumsy yet adorable.

After the swan parents swam for a while and took a couple of sips of water, they sped up a bit!

Like scissors cutting through fabric, with them as the tip, the calm water rippled layer by layer to both sides, reflecting the shore’s green trees swaying slightly.

Tang Xiaoxin couldn’t help but feel much more relaxed as she gazed at this beautiful scenery!

This is what a holiday should look like.

Scattered along the shore were some vegetable baskets, filled with food for them, and occasionally ducks and swans would come to eat.

The black swan parents swam over, stretched their heads into the baskets, and pecked at a couple of green leaves.

First, they pulled them out and placed them beside the little fluffy balls, and then started munching on them contentedly.

The swan babies were too young to eat large leaves!

Watching their mother’s beak move, chewing the leaves into smaller pieces and then stretching out her neck and opening her mouth, it was as if she was asking for food!

Seeing her children wanting to eat, the black swan mother gently opened her mouth, letting the leaves fall into the water.

Tang Xiaoxin’s eyes sparkled as she watched: "Wow, what a loving swan family!"

However, the baby swans were a bit clumsy, grasping the leaves and chewing a couple of times before they fell onto their chests, looking forward with a bewildered expression, until the mother picked up the leaves and ate them.

The black swan family rested a while after eating some food on the shore and were ready to set off again!

But it seemed the swan babies were a bit tired.

One swam to its mother’s tail, prodded open her wings, and squeezed into the gap between wing and body, paddling its little legs and stepping on its mother’s body to climb aboard.

After climbing on, it burrowed inside, going all the way up to the mother’s neck.

They started preening their feathers on their mother’s back, and the other two also climbed up, squeezing together with the first one, looking extremely cute.

"Wow!"

For the two young girls, it was their first time seeing such behavior from swans, causing them to exclaim with eyes wide open!

The visitors looked on with interest at the family, smiles spreading across their faces!

"Is this the swan boat!"

"All aboard, all aboard!"

"That’s just too cute!"

With several babies on her back, the black swan mother’s swimming posture remained very graceful, her head looking around with ease, as if unburdened.

Like an aircraft carrier carrying several planes, she sailed slowly into the distance.