If you look at the big dark thing under this Trumpeter Swan's wing you'll see that it is her foot. So, if you've ever wondered how a big bird like a swan can glide on the water so fast and gracefully, it's because they have really big webbed feet.
This particular swan was hanging out with its mate on Opinicon Lake, just lounging in the shade of a cedar tree on a small island. When I first spotted the swan, this one was standing on one foot with the other tucked up and hidden under the wing. After discounting the possibility that this was the fabled Unifoot Swan, I continued to watch until it stretched, revealing the second foot. Trumpeter Swans are an extirpated native species to the Rideau, they were re-introducted in the 1990s.
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