I would never have guessed that my very first encounter of the day would be with a rampaging swan!  I had gone to see, what I perceived to be, much more ferocious beasts, yet this feisty swan exhibited more aggression than I saw for the rest of the day.

This was the third shot off my camera, and he seemed to be taking great exception to being photographed.   Still, your intrepid reporter stood her ground, confident that the four foot fence would be sufficient to deter this bird.  You will be pleased to hear that the swan lost interest before he reached the fence.  lol! 

The Black Swan  (Cygnus atratus)  is a native of Australia and Tasmania and is also found wild in New Zealand to where it was introduced.  It is the world's only black swan although its flight feathers, normally almost fully hidden at rest, are white.

Whilst I was googling `black swans`, I came across this article.  Written last year, it seems particularly pertinent in the current financial climate.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/markets/europe/article1760022.ece