Now that I have 'all my ducks in a row" I've moved to a project that hopefully won't be my "swan song". Here is a Mute Swan couple in courtship creating that iconic heart shaped pose. The Mute Swan is probably the best known of the 7 living swan species and has been immortalized in works such as Hans Christen Anderson's "Ugly Duckling" and Wagner's "Lohengrin". The Mute Swan is endemic to much of Europe and Asia, and as a rare winter visitor to the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. Swans are monogamous. Once the adults are mated they seek out their own territories and often live close to ducks and gulls, which may take advantage of the swan's ability to reach deep water weeds, which tend to spread out on the water surface. Mute Swans build large mounds of waterside vegetation in shallow water on islands in the middle or at the very edge of a lake. They often reuse the same nest each year, restoring or rebuilding it as needed. Male and female swans share the care of the nest, and once the cygnets are fledged it is not uncommon to see whole families looking for food together. Mute Swans are usually strongly territorial with just a single pair on smaller lakes, though in a few locations where a large area of suitable feeding habitat is found they can be colonial with the largest colonies having over 100 pairs. Mute Swans can be very aggressive in defense of their nests. Most defensive attacks from a Mute Swan begin with a loud hiss and, if this is not sufficient to drive off the predator, are followed by a physical attack. Swans attack by smashing at their enemy with bony spurs in the wings, accompanied by biting with their large bill. The wings of the swan are very powerful and exert enough force to break an adult man's leg. Male swans are known as “cobs” and females as “pens”. Young Swans are known as ‘sygnets”. The group of swans is known as a “bank” and in flight as a “wedge”. Rendered in Poser 2014 without postwork. Models included are: Songbird ReMix Waterfowl 3: Swans of the World and Songbird ReMix Waterfowl 1: Dabbling Dicks (Ken Gilliland/Hivewire3d), Trees201204 (DinoRaul/Renderosity), and Soggy Bottom Swamp (Nerd3d/Hivewire3d)