A Beautiful Story of Success

So many years have passed by - thirty-four to be exact - since I was able to assist with the reintroduction of trumpeter swans to Northeast Iowa. We had adult birds and young birds introduced to a private quarry/pit in Black Hawk County. The wing feathers were clipped on the adults so they would remain at the pit. (The adults replaced the feathers later in the season.) The young swans imprinted on the area. Each successive generation of young birds has also imprinted on our area and the rest is history.

Now I regularly see (or hear) trumpeter swans. Even though they are becoming commonplace, the beautiful white birds still command my attention… each and every time.

As I thought about my post for today, with the instigating image being four swans observed in a local pond, I thought it might be appropriate to share images from far to near, all recorded in the last week. Yes, two have been featured before, but they are worth another look.

My continued thanks to Pat, Bruce, Don, the Iowa DNR, and any others who have assisted with this memorable project!