The Common American Swan (plate 411) has alighted into the library! Visit us through March 7 to see this impressive print on display in our reading room. And did you know that swans are seen as a symbol of love because they mate for life? So if you’re looking for a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, we suggest dropping by the library this month to see our featured bird for some romantic inspiration.
When migrating swans reached their winter home, Audubon described their arrival as follows, "the first signal of their arrival at their winter abode is a general burst of melody, making the shores ring for several hours with their vociferating congratulations, whilst making amends for a long fast, and pluming their deranged feathers. From these localities they rarely depart unless driven farther south by intensely cold weather, until their vernal excursion." Read more from Audubon's account
here.
