January 4th, 2008
where are the swans?
Yesterday, while in the Westport area, Don and I stopped to check on the Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) that often feed in a small reach of open water below the dam in the causeway at Narrows Locks on Big Rideau Lake. Usually, we find 2 or 3 adults and a couple of juveniles swimming and feeding together, but yesterday we just found a single swan in the company of a few Mallard ducks. That’s the first time that we’ve found a lone swan at that location. We’ll have to check back on the swans on our next pass through that area to see if others arrive.
The lone swan was first seen feeding at the downstream end of the reach. However, after noticing that we were parked on the causeway, it swam upstream. In the past, we’ve found small heaps of seeds sprinkled on the ice next to the causeway. No doubt, the swan approached to see if I might be the usual benefactor.
After finding that I had nothing to offer, the swan swam into the nearby shallows and stood while grooming itself. I shot several photos (click on images to see larger views), and also a short movie clip of the swan as it vigorously worked on its feathers. The sound of rushing water is from the spillway under the dam where I was standing. I should mention that the temperature was hovering around 0 F. yesterday when I shot these photos and movie clips. That feels *very* cold when you’re standing on a low causeway at the center of a huge frozen lake with frigid water rushing just a few feet from your vantage point. It gives you a great appreciation for the toughness of these and other water birds that overwinter in our region.
Last December, I wrote about another Trumpeter Swan sighting on a nearby lake. If interested, check out that post to learn more about reintroduction efforts for the Trumpeter Swan in eastern Canada.
Tags: Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator