Mute swan chicks shelter under mom's tail feathers, Massapequa Preserve, Long Island, New York
Mute swan chicks shelter under mom's tail feathers, Massapequa Preserve, Long Island, New York (© Vicki Jauron/Getty Images)
Beauties are born
These proverbial 'ugly ducklings' are anything but. Soon, they will indeed grow up to become graceful swans. The young mute swans, called cygnets, are sheltered under mom's tail feathers in the Massapequa Preserve on Long Island, New York, a tranquil oasis in the suburban sprawl of Nassau County.
© Vicki Jauron/Getty Images