Swan Bathing

[KentYeti]

Maybe there is a thread for this already. If so, Sorry!

But from the David Feast hide yesterday I watched what in the end I realised was a Mute Swan bathing.

It started by using it's wings and legs to circle quite rapidly for a minute or two in the water. Creating a quite considerable whirlpool. Quite a spectacle.

That lead to it climbing onto a sort of raised area put in the water there, where it spent a lot of time throughly preening itself before having a good old wing flap to dry off. I guess the whole process was about half an hour or more.

Never seen that before. I was watching it all happen more than photographing it. But I do have few photos I will sort and add here soon. Would have been better if filmed.

Wondered how many others have seen that? And how often does a Mute Swan got through that ritual?