Much Going On

Yesterday I was tagged in a Facebook post describing a trumpeter swan that may not be well. This situation is almost like deja vu as last year, about this time, I rescued a trumpeter swan with the help of a friend. That swan was suffering from lead poisoning.

Early this morning I drove down to the lake to check on the swan. While there I counted 76 trumpeter swans congregated around one small area of open water. Unlike last year, where the ill swan was isolated - either by its actions or by the other swans - today all of the swans were mingling together. That gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, there was not a swan in trouble. After all, not only do I not want there to be an ill swan, but there is some risk to attempting to capturing the bird under ice and cold conditions.

As I studied the swans I noticed three interesting details other swan watchers may not have noticed.

Details #1 and #2 - This swan appears to have a neck injury. I saw a similar swan neck one other time when I was on a solo paddling trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area of Northern Minnesota. That swan seemed fine with its crooked neck. Maybe this is the swan that is not leaving the area? (Detail #2) Near the swan a white-winged scoter was swimming. Unless you looked hard, you probably would not have noticed the duck was not a typical local duck. Scoters are sea ducks that during the winter are usually along the coasts in salt-water environments.

Detail #3 was even more unique, at least for me. Again, as I studied the swans I noticed that one of the trumpeter swans had orange legs (they should be black). Research informed me that I had photographed a leucistic trumpeter swan - a first for me!

As for the ill trumpeter swan… a small group of us is planning to attempt a rescue and transfer to wildlife rehabilitators tomorrow. Let’s hope it goes well!