This is a painting of a mute swan I came by in the park when I visited lovely London.  So many birds!  I never realize what a popular attraction this London park was for dippers and divers.
  
Fast facts on mute swans:
- The Mute Swan is less vocal than the noisy Whooper and Bewick's Swans; the most familiar sound associated with them is the whooshing of their wings in flight. The phrase ‘swan song’ refers to this swan and to the legend that it is utterly silent until the last moment of its life, and then sings one achingly beautiful song just before dying; in reality, the Mute Swan is not completely silent.
- The Mute Swan is not usually all white as many may think; the curved neck is often stained with pigments from iron or algae.
- The Mute Swan is the national bird of the Kingdom of Denmark.
- They are very territorial. The familiar pose with neck curved back and wings half raised, known as busking, is a threat display. There have been many reports of Mute Swans attacking people who enter their territory. Their wings are believed to be so strong that they can break a person's arm with one hit.
- A group of swans has many collective nouns, including a "ballet", "bevy", "drift", "regatta", and "school" of swans.