Whistling Swans Reside at Horseshoe Lake Park for the Winter

This winter I saw my first Whistling swans as they flew overhead. Awed by their beauty and majesty, I frequently visit the park they are wintering in. The adults are white with no bump on their beak like mute swans and their young are a light brown at one years old. Graceful yet skittish, I don't like to visit too much for fear my welcome will wear out.

One surreal event was to visit the swans at dusk around Christmas time. The park had been decorated with lights for Christmas and as it grew dark, I could see these elegant white ghosts in the water with little lights all around me as the bulbs hung in the trees.

As a bird watcher, I lived my whole life in New Jersey without ever seeing so many beautiful birds in one year as I have this year. I saw a sand hill crane in Warren NJ as well as blue birds and gold finches all last summer. Maybe all of our environmentalism is paying off. Or maybe I am just more observant these days.

I like to think I could be beautiful like a swan. They swim around and eat and preen and raise their young so diligently. When they grow up, they look for a mate. We could all learn a little about commitment from these beautiful animals. If they feel threatened, they just fly away. Peaceful and beautiful, I can relate after meditating this year.

If I could fulfill one dream this year, it would be to see a moose. I have seen eagles in Alaska, the tail of a whale and bear, I've seen all sorts of deer and birds and even black squirrels and half albino deer. But I have never seen a moose. But unless I move up to the Adirondacks with my Aunt, I doubt I'll see one. I saw some sort of grouse up there, and I know they have moose, but its kind of rare.

Watching for wildlife takes a perceptive eye and being quite. If you power through your walks you may never see anything more than ducks. I saw a loon all by itself in Horseshoe Lake Park. That brought back memories of being up to Manitoulin Island one summer right before 9-11. There were loons calling out to the night. I remember seeing all those Canadian flags there and seeing all that national pride and I thought, wouldn't it be nice to see American Flags like that. And then 9-11 happened and history changed forever. We are a proud country full of good people. Let us never forget why we are free. You have to fight for freedom just like our ancestors.