Trumpeter Swan takes to Flight

Splashing as she goes

Trumpeter swan takes to flight

An impressive sight

Morning Departure

 Morning departure

A pair of swans in lift off

Splashing as they go

Wayfaring waterfowl

Overnight visit,

by wayfaring waterfowl,

both so great and small.

Trumpeter Swans

 Over the weekend we took a drive to Monticello, a town along the Mississippi River, to view Trumpeter Swans. They are the heaviest birds, native to North America.  In addition to being big and beautiful, we discovered they're also quite loud... hence their name!

It was just 50 years ago that a law was passed protecting endangered species.  Let's all give a big honk for that!

Trumpeter Swans

Trumpeter Swans

Trumpeter Swans taking off

I enjoyed watching the migrating Trumpeter Swans at Medicine Lake earlier this week.

At first I was upset when this pair decided to take off.  Then I quickly realized it was a photo opportunity!

Trumpeter Swans liking climate change?

Trumpeter Swans

I was thrilled to see a pair of Trumpeter Swans and three cygnets on a drive yesterday.  They were 20 miles west of the Twin Cities, nesting in a wetlands just off of Highway 12.

In researching trumpeter swans I discovered a World Climate Report Blog that indicated that these swans are actually increasing in numbers over the past 40 years. So despite the floods, droughts, strong winds and melting ice caps, the Trumpeter Swans are doing better than they were earlier in the 20th century. Nice to know something is fairing better, isn't it?

Further down the road I discovered a White-tailed Deer and a couple of spotted fawns grazing near a field of corn.

White-tailed doe and fawns