Down by the Riverside

Took a wee wander down to a lovely spot on the bank of the River Earn near Kinkell Bridge this afternoon. I looked west along the water and a large heron flew off across the river. Then I heard a noise and looked east. Three enormous birds were heading upstream towards me – they were so huge that the noise made by their flapping wings was almost deafening. I had no idea what they were at first as I could only see their silhouettes. My first thought was herons but I have never seen herons flying other than solo, and also the wingspan seemed much larger than a heron's and the wings were stroking up and down more powerfully than I have ever seen a heron do – they always seem quite leisurely in their flight. I watched with awe as the birds approached and then they got close enough for me to see what they were – swans. They landed in the water but didn’t seem to want to swim further up than where they were when I took this photo.