Swans

The  Trumpeter Swans are finding food and puddles in the fields. 

 

There is still snow in the shade and in the trees.  More snow is forecast for today. 

It might warm up next week.

Far Side

Swans and Ducks

There are a number of Swans and Ducks over on the Fishhook River.  It entertained Chance and I for quite some time.  Chance just watched out his window.  He didn’t growl he didn’t bark he just enjoyed the show…what a good boy he is!

The Trumpeter Swans are huge.

The young swans will slowly become snowy white.

Just a reminder to never pick your butt in public! 

Gathering At The River

The Canada Geese, the Trumpeter Swans and the Mallard Ducks are gathered on Fish Hook River.  It is fun to go see them, there is enough current to keep the water open unless it gets really cold.  The geese, swans and ducks feed on submerged vegetation and buckets of corn supplied by well meaning people.
In years past there was one old guy who feed them everyday…I don’t think that is happening anymore.  While we were there a lady with a red bucket went near the shore, but the waterfowl all moved to the other side of the river….so they were not familiar with her and her bucket.

All the waterfowl seem to get along, perhaps they are old friends and meet up here every year for Christmas/New Years before heading south.

Chance enjoyed watching them…quietly.  He was such a good boy! 

Our weather is mild for Minnesota…I kinda like El Nino.  I got the shoveling caught up with yesterday and de decorated the rest of the downstairs.  Christmas decorations were sorted and put away.  All that remains is a few decorations outside and they can stay there for a while and the Shiny Brite Tree is still decorated upstairs.  I have mixed feelings about taking it down…I will take it down before I have to dust the ornaments!

Birds at the Refuge

Well there is more than just blooming Lady’s Slippers at the refuge.

Chance and I saw our first Trumpeter Swan Cygnets!!  I have always hoped to see some…Sunday was the day.

We rounded the bend and on this little pothole that I think is somehow joined with Tamarac Lake and hit the jack pot.

Trumpeter Swan and three cygnets.

Chance watched silently as I snapped photos.  I told him if you bark at the birds next time I will leave you home…so be a good boy…and he was.

There was a road kill deer near the headquarters and this Turkey Vulture was having a meal.  He flew into the tree…we told him to come back down and eat some more but he ignored us.

Then we spotted a family of Canada Geese, three adults possibly one is a yearling goose, they stick around to help care for the goslings.

They must be used to vehicles…as we watched them for quite some time.

It was a fun morning at the refuge… several times we stopped to just listen to the Red Winged Blackbirds.  We don’t have them back here in the Oaks so it is always a treat to hear them sing.

I know several of you thought it was strange that we didn’t meet one other vehicle…I was thankful we didn’t …some people drive way to fast and raise too much dust on the gravel roads…and they scare the wildlife.  We drove slowly to look for flowers and wildlife…and left nothing behind but our tracks in the gravel.

Ducks and Swans

Finally I was almost blinded by the sun.  It hung around most of the morning yesterday and then in the afternoon it disappeared again.

We ran errand in town and then drove out to the point as our reward!

The Fish Hook River is open and the Swans and Ducks have sought refuge there.   There used to be an elderly man who fed them.  I am not so sure that is happening…I will have to ask my cousin Chuck he will know.

Mallard Ducks, that is a male with the pretty head and the female wears her brown dress accented with  a few beautiful violet feathers on her side. (Very technical term! )

Here is a better photograph of those violet colored feathers.

Chance was a really good boy.  He rolled down his window and stuck half his body out but didn’t growl or bark…he just watched.

Young Swans still a dirty white color but some of their new feathers are snowy white.

Two older Trumpeter Swans

We watched for quite some time…beside laundry, cleaning house and running errands it was the highlight of our day.

Snow and Swans

It snowed a little more.  It snows and melts and repeats daily.  Not exactly spring like.

The snow stick is stable at 9 inches.

We went for a ride.  Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese, Wild Turkeys and Sandhill Cranes are visiting the cornfields.  Very little water is open for them. 

You can almost play “find the swans” in this photo.

 

The Monday blizzard went north of us, and the one predicted for Friday is supposed to go south of us…we must be incredibly lucky.

Cygnets on Fishhook River

Far Guy and I met the Swan Guy..his name is Pete.  We met him at woodcarving..he stopped to visit.

Pete feeds the Swans on  Fishhook River.  He was friends with The Swan Lady who fed Trumpeter Swans at Monticello Minnesota.

Pete like the Swan Lady feeds the Swans because someone should.  He says he can still afford the corn..so he will continue.  He said some people give him donations..he feeds them every morning.

He has invited us to watch him at feeding ..and we will go one morning soon with camera in hand!

In the meantime we enjoy the Swans and the Ducks that are gathered at the river.  I like to go in the afternoon when the light is right for photographs.

These are the Cygnets.

Cygnets are young swans that were born last spring.  This spring they will molt and be snow white like the big guys!

Here is a good photo for you to see the difference in color and size.

Chance enjoys trips down to the river. Far Guy rolls down his window and Chance hangs his head out and watches the swans and the ducks.  He is quiet and just watches and never barks.  The ducks fly in..quacking and the swans swim silently over..then they start to honk or trumpet..I think the ducks irritate the swans.

I am amazed at how close I can get to them..and equally amazed at how large they are:)

The gathering

The Swans are gathering together before heading south.

We headed out last Sunday afternoon to get some supplies for the “Train project”  ..Far Guy pulled over at the public access at Sivertson Lake so I could take some photos. 

There were many pairs on the lake.  They stay near each other.

They must draw comfort and support from their mates. These two have it covered..between the two of them they can see all around.  They “have each others backs.”

The Swans were silent until we let Chance out for a walk.  The warning calls went on down the lake..from one pair to another..until they were all alert and watching.  Of course Chance is not a threat..but the Swans don’t know that.

Soon the lakes will be frozen..and the Swans will have gone south.  They will return in the Spring..in groups and then one day they will break off from the group to find their own private lake to raise their young.  So the circle continues..the gatherings in the Spring and the Fall must be like a family reunion:)

Return To Swan Pond

One day this fall ( November 08)  we were driving by Swan Pond..the Swans are gathering. I noticed a distinct separation of the Swans.  A bunch of large adults were along one of the islands.

Another group was swimming with their now grown babies.. this years cygnets are sporting a dirty grey color and pinkish colored beaks.. next year they will be all pretty and white. The cygnets stay within the family group for about a year. So the other group with no cygnets must have been the Swans that did not hatch any young this summer. I viewed it as a bunch of gossipy old Aunts.."Look at that show off..they had five cygnets this summer. Tsk..Tsk..bet they have their beaks full."

We watched the Swans for quite some time..they are beautiful creatures.  They must gather up here and then migrate out together..going to warmer climates for the winter.   You could learn something from a Swan.

The other night I was listening to my father and my brother discussing the upcoming winter.  The muskrat houses are low, the beaver houses are high.  The squirrels are not gathering acorns like they should.. their consensus was extreme cold.   Well isn't that just wonderful.. I am looking forward to that with great anticipation:)

Trumpeter Swans: A Minnesota Success Story

Since Far Guy and I discovered Sven and Sophie up on Swan Pond we became curious how many other Swan pairs are in our area. On Saturday after I was done bitching about the snow, we went for a drive. Once the snow melted I was in a fairly good mood. We made a sixty mile circle and it took us all afternoon. We had a wonderful late lunch/early supper and returned home six hours later with my camera cards full. I may need larger cards. Back in the 1880's these Swans were hunted into extinction in Minnesota. For their meat and for their feathers for some ladies fancy hats. In the1930's, only 69 Swans remained in the lower 48 States. Those 69 Swans were all located in the Red Rocks Lake area of Montana. Through Conservation efforts and the Wildlife Nongame Wildlife Program these beautiful birds have been brought back to good numbers in Minnesota..exactly how many..in 2004 it was estimated at 2000. Success!!

In 1987, 21 Swans were released in our area. We have discovered five pairs in our travels. Some are in potholes far from "Nowhere" ..some are in ponds very near the road. None of the Swans that we have viewed have identification neckbands..so I surmise that these are all wild swans versus released swans.

A Swan mainly eats submerged plants like water celery. I have noticed that one Swan..usually the largest..has a real dirty head. Now this is only my theory ...but it makes sense to me. Take the case of Sven..he is hard to photograph because he always has his head underwater. I am positive that Sophie tells him " Sven, you need to get me food cause I need to lay eggs soon. I will keep watch and you will rip plants out of the muck ALL day long for me to eat." Remember this is only my theory.. :)

All photos taken with Canon PowerShot SX 110 IS