บท 45: Chapter 611: The Swan Boat
After visiting the Crane Pavilion, they took a stroll around the Waterfowl Lake!
By now, in July, the breeding plumage of the mandarin ducks and mallards had mostly faded, making them look much plainer.
However, their eggs had hatched, and the bird parents were now busy taking care of their chicks, which was still very entertaining to watch.
When Tang Xiaoxin and her friends arrived, they saw a pair of black swan parents (or maybe not?) near the reeds on the opposite shore. They were stretching their necks to groom their feathers, lightly flapping their wings in preparation for entering the water.
Around them were several plump, round, gray-black fluffballs!
One black swan stepped into the water, waddling down the dry reed-covered slope, and shook its tail contentedly.
The other swan, after finishing its grooming, looked down at the fluffballs, stood up, spread its wings, and flapped them, sending a few feathers flying.
"Come on, babies, time for a swim!"
Two fluffballs, seeing their mother already in the water and their father flapping his wings behind them, wobbled down the slope on their tiny legs, eagerly shaking their bodies as soon as they hit the water.
Another fluffball, which had been daydreaming behind its dad, hurriedly flapped its tiny wings and ran to catch up when it saw its parents in the water.
Its wings were still very short, looking like a fluffy, round, adorable little penguin!
It jumped over a reed, stretched its neck to look around, and then plopped into the water.
"Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp!"
It called out urgently, kicking its legs to catch up with its parents, and the family swam leisurely together.
By the shore of the Waterfowl Lake, about a dozen elderly men had gathered.
They held various cameras, some with tripods, and either stood or squatted, observing the black swan family across the lake.
Seeing the swan family become active, they excitedly shouted, "They're up! They're going into the water!"
"They're coming this way!"
"They look so beautiful, don't they?"
"The little ones are so cute!"
The swans entering the water seemed to be a signal. The elderly men, full of energy, raised their cameras and started rapid-fire shooting at twelve frames per second, the sound of shutters clicking like machine-gun fire.
Tang Xiaoxin, watching this scene, whispered to Qian Keke, "These old men have great stamina! Those cameras look heavy; I feel like I'd get tired holding one for just a few minutes."
Qian Keke nodded in agreement, "Absolutely!"
These elderly men, humorously referred to as "old masters" in the photography community, loved taking photos of birds, especially waterfowl. Parrots were considered too gaudy and vulgar; besides birds, they also liked photographing lotus flowers and sunsets.
So, a lake with lotus flowers, swans, and mandarin ducks was their paradise, and the newly opened, ancient-style Crane Pavilion was also a great spot!
The old masters were well-organized and always took photos together.
For them, photography was like young people showing off their game cards.
Letting their companions see their expensive lenses and cameras, and the envious glances they received, gave them a sense of accomplishment. They would edit their artistically beautiful photos and post them with a poem on social media, feeling very proud.
For retired elderly men, it was a wonderful hobby! It kept them physically active and mentally happy.
However, some old masters lacked etiquette. To attract birds, they would throw food or even stones to scare them, trying to capture the moment the birds took off or landed.
They cared only about their photos, not the birds' constant alarm and fatigue, which could lead to stress or even death.
Such behavior was unwelcome at the zoo, and repeated warnings would result in a blacklist.
After several warnings, the old masters now knew the rules and followed them obediently.
Being blacklisted meant they couldn't enter the zoo, which had the best scenery, and they couldn't enjoy their hobby with friends.
The black swan parents swam leisurely on the water, with lush reeds as their backdrop. Their black reflections mirrored on the calm water, occasionally bending their necks to drink, moving elegantly and gracefully.
The adult swans' gentle paddling sent them gliding far, contrasting with the clumsy, adorable movements of the cygnets, whose heads and tails bobbed as they swam, their bodies swaying left and right like they were on a rocking horse.
One could imagine their little feet paddling furiously underwater, making them look both awkward and cute.
After swimming for a while and drinking some water, the swan parents picked up speed!
Like scissors cutting through fabric, they created ripples that spread out, reflecting the green trees on the shore.
Tang Xiaoxin, gazing at the beautiful scenery, felt her spirits lift!
This is what a holiday should be like.
There were some vegetable baskets scattered along the shore, containing food for the birds. Ducks and swans would occasionally come to eat.
The black swan parents swam over, dipped their heads into the baskets, and picked out some green leaves.
They first placed some leaves beside the cygnets before eating themselves.
The cygnets, too young to eat large leaves, watched their mother's beak move, chewing the leaves into smaller pieces, and opened their mouths, asking for food.
Seeing her chicks wanting to eat, the black swan mother gently released the leaves into the water.
Tang Xiaoxin's eyes sparkled, "Wow, the swan family is so loving!"
However, the cygnets seemed a bit clumsy, dropping the leaves after a few chews, looking around blankly, and eventually, the mother picked up and ate the leaves herself.
The black swan family, after resting and eating by the shore, prepared to set off again!
But the cygnets seemed a bit tired.
One swam to its mother's tail, nudged under her wing, and climbed onto her back, using its legs to push itself up.
It nestled in by her neck, grooming its feathers, and the other two followed, snuggling together, looking incredibly cute.
"Wow!"
The two girls, seeing this behavior for the first time, widened their eyes in amazement!
Visitors watched the family with interest, smiling!
"Is this the swan boat?"
"They're boarding!"
"So adorable!"
The black swan mother, with her chicks on her back, swam gracefully, her head turning left and right, seemingly unburdened.
Like an aircraft carrier with several planes, she slowly sailed into the distance.
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