The swans have entered another phase of life: moulting. Unlike most other birds, ducks, geese and swans lose all their flight feathers at once, rendering them flightless for a period. And I am capitalizing on this by collecting some of their majestic, sword-like feathers that they leave behind.
Feathers grow from follicles in the skin (like hair) and the growth of a new feather from the bottom of the follicle pushes the old one out. A comparison of feather wear shows that dark colored feathers wear out more slowly than white ones.

The swans have relocated from their nesting ground, spending more time across the lake by the ice skating rink. In some ways it's more private. The babies use the boat ramp for easy water access.