December Swans and the Morning Light
This was my second week returning to a new location I had recently discovered. A place already alive with sound—geese calling to one another, ducks scattered across the water, their voices making the landscape easy to follow even before the light arrived.
As I walked slowly along the water’s edge, I wasn’t searching for everything.
I was searching for one thing.
The Swan family I had seen the week before.
At first, all I could make out were small white dots far in the distance. Too still to be certain. I stopped, lifted my binoculars, and there they were—moving with that unmistakable grace only Swans carry. Calm. Unhurried. Drifting toward me as if the morning itself was guiding them forward.
The Sun began to rise behind them, and suddenly their white bodies caught the light. What had been soft and muted turned warm—golden tones of orange and yellow tracing along their necks, settling into the curves of their feathers. Light and shadow worked together, revealing texture and depth with every gentle movement.
I stayed where I was.
As I filmed and captured still images, I found myself drawn to their faces—the vivid orange of their bills, the way water dripped as they lifted their heads after feeding. Those quiet details mattered to me. They’re easy to miss if you rush.
This is where my zoom lens became essential. It allowed me to remain at a respectful distance while still witnessing the intimacy of the moment—wide shots to place them in the landscape, close-ups to reveal the beauty that often goes unnoticed. The lens didn’t bring me closer to the swans; it allowed me to see them clearly while letting them remain undisturbed.
December Swans are out there.
They don’t announce themselves.
They wait.
And if you’re willing to return to the same places, to stand still long enough, you may find them too—glowing quietly in the morning light.
The video link is below, where this moment unfolds just as it did—slowly, naturally, without hurry.
Quiet Presence – Slow Seeing
— Helen
A Juvenile Swan stays close to its parent as the morning light settles gently across the water
The Swan family stays close together through the early light, unhurried and calm.
A quiet moment of connection as the adult Swan pauses, aware and present in the morning stillness
A quiet morning with a Swan family as soft golden light settles across the water. This video invites you to pause and experience a moment of calm, connection, and stillness.