Whooper Family at the Lake

Whooper swan with young on nest (photo from Wikimedia) 26 June 2026 This week I received a video from our friends in Finland where the whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) have returned to the lake outside their cottage. When we visited Finland last year I was disappointed that no whoopers were breeding nearby. Erkki was happy to show me the swans are back. Whooper swan family at Lake Rikkavesi, Finland, June 2026 (video by Erkki Makinen) Whooper swans nest on shorelines and islands at lakes like Rikkavesi because … Whooper swans require large areas of water to live in, especially when they are still growing because their body weight cannot be supported by their legs for extended periods. The whooper swan spends much of its time swimming, straining the water for food, or eating plants that grow on the bottom. — Wikipedia: Whooper Swan When the cygnets are small they can disappear in the grasses. “For years now, this swan couple has come to our island in the spring to hatch” Lake Leppävesi,…