Colours Of Nature: Of Cygnets And Ducklings

They say swans mate for life. 

A family of swans and their beautiful, fluffy cygnets (photo taken by Big Bee)

And everyone knows the transformation of the ugly duckling. 

A group of ducklings gazing across the lake (photo taken by Big Bee)

Notice the gorgeous downy feathers of these adolescent cygnets? (Photo by Big Bee)

With so many beautiful fables surrounding the swan, we felt truly privileged to witness the exquisite offsprings of the 2 resident swans in our favourite part of Botanic Gardens, and another brood of ducklings that appeared mysteriously! 

That was almost a year and a half ago. 

I remember the Bees were so elated to play with the different varieties of birds, squealing in excitement and basking in their proximity to these feathered creatures. 

That was when that part of the Gardens was still relatively quiet. And now, with the completion of the MRT near the Botanic Gardens, many people throng the verdant grounds which used to seem so boundless and uncluttered. Now, the meandering emerald pastures are filled with people, and the atmosphere buzzed with liveliness and gay chatter.

Which is perfectly fine, as everyone should enjoy more time outdoors, especially in land-scarce Singapore. But I miss my tranquillity and quiet. And I think the swans miss that halcyon peace too. The cygnets and ducklings had undoubtedly grown into adults, and the cygnets are nowhere to be found, probably transported by the park authorities to somewhere else.

Only the ducks and the parent swans are left behind

Which is a wee bit sad because the park may be resonant with sounds of humanity, but the quiescent way of life for the swans and ducks seemed to be a remote past now. 

Still, we frequent Botanic Gardens for our breakfasts and tea breaks, immersing ourselves in the verdure and assimilating the serenity of the atmosphere. 

Oops, another addition to our family joined us - and disturbed the peace of the park further!

Here, we hope our girls could understand the virtues of soaking ourselves in the present moment, appreciating the beauty of nature, listening to the sounds of Earth around them, and listening to their own hearts through this stillness. 

I hope there are many more of such oases in time to come...