Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Cygnus buccinator

This is a photo of a Trumpeter Swan, one of the six Swans seen at the Sibbald ponds yesterday, 23 October 2016. More information about this small group can be seen in the report below, written by our leader, Howard Heffler, along with the eBird list compiled by Nimali S., with thanks to both of them! "Thirteen participants met at Assumption School at 8:30 AM and spent the day birding several locations west of Calgary. We first stopped at Jumping Pound pond. There were both species of swan and a few puddle ducks. We made another quick stop at Sibbald ponds where there were six swans. It appeared to be a family of five Trumpeters and one lonely Tundra. The (apparent) Tundra was all white but had a mostly pink bill. It was being harassed by the others so we concluded (speculated) was a second year bird that still had a pink bill (or maybe a first year bird that had turned white prematurely??). It was smaller than the others and was obviously an outcast. If anyone has any thoughts they would be most welcome. It was cold and windy at Bow Valley Park and a quick walk on Flowing Waters trail proved fruitless so we moved to the Seebe dam. Again there were a few swans and ducks but the cold winds seemed unfriendly to birds and birders alike. In Exshaw it was still cold and windy and there were few birds. However, a flock of about 45 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch was the highlight of the day. These are such active birds and their feeding habits are fun to watch as the flock seems to roll forward along the ground as the birds in the back leap-frog the leaders. The Canmore Visitor Center was an excellent (warm and comfortable) bathroom and lunch stop. Harvie Heights offered a few boreal birds but not as many as hoped for. An interesting note for future planning is that the community prohibits bird feeders until November 1st in an effort to reduce conflicts with bears or cougars. Thanks to Nimali S. for keeping track of species and doing the eBird postings. The combined list for the day (including species seen while driving) was: Snow Goose 1 Canada Goose 63 Trumpeter Swan 37 Tundra Swan 30 American Wigeon 3 Mallard 40 Common Merganser 1 Common Loon 2 Western Grebe 1 Rough-legged Hawk 2 Rock Pigeon 9 Downy Woodpecker 1 Gray Jay 2 Clark's Nutcracker 3 Black-billed Magpie 6 Common Raven 2 Black-capped Chickadee 6 Mountain Chickadee 7 Boreal Chickadee 1 (heard only) Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 White-breasted Nuthatch 1 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch 45 White-winged Crossbill 1 House Sparrow 2 Howard Heffler Calgary"

On 19 March 2016, I was on a birding day trip with a group of friends, going SE of Calgary, E of High River. Though the day started off rather cold, it gradually warmed up and was a beautiful day to be out in nature. On a trip l ike this, birds are almost always way off in the distance, so I get very few photos. Did get this fully 48x zoom shot of a few of the beautiful Swans in the area that day. We saw both Tundra and Trumpeter Swans - I think the ones in this photo are Trumpeters. A lovely sign of spring on the day before the official date of spring's arrival. I will add our leader's report that he sent into eBird, adding that I did not see all of the sightings, as the birds were much too far away. As always, my camera lens was turned to various other things, too. Thanks so much, as always, Andrew, for a most enjoyable day! Thanks, too, Anne, for driving - I really appreciated the ride! "We had 16 participants when we left Calgary on a sunny but frosty morning. We arrived at the main gate around 10:00 am and set off, in a chilly -5 deg C to walk down to the outfall and then around to the blind. The recent cold nights had refrozen some of the lake, but it is still mostly open water. Most obvious were the thousands of Pintails and hundreds of swans (mostly Tundra today). We did see the overwintering (presumably) Song Sparrow near the outfall. About 60-80 California Gulls, no other gulls that we could identify. We left and went to High River for lunch, stopping by the Sutherland Shelterbelt to acknowledge the resident Great Horned Owl. After lunch we circled the lake on the usual roads and ended up at the Basin 2 West Bay. Several more swans and finally, the Eurasian Wigeon, spotted by Tony Timmons. By lunchtime the temperature had reached about 10 deg C and continued to rise reaching ~14 deg C and making a perfect Alberta Spring (almost) afternoon. Leaving Frank Lake we stopped in at Blackie to find mostly Starlings, and a few Eurasian Collared Doves. The list for Frank Lake and Blackie was: Checklists included in this summary: (1): Frank Lake--NW lookout/blind Date: Mar 19, 2016, 9:55 AM (2): Sutherland's Shelterbelt (private property) Date: Mar 19, 2016, 12:30 PM (3): Frank Lake--Basin 2 (Southeast Corner) Date: Mar 19, 2016, 2:15 PM (4): Frank Lake--Basin 2 (West Bay) Date: Mar 19, 2016, 3:05 PM (5): Blackie (hamlet) Date: Mar 19, 2016, 4:10 PM 650 Canada Goose -- (1),(3),(4) 4 Trumpeter Swan -- (1) 225 Tundra Swan -- (1),(4) 3 Gadwall -- (1) 2 Eurasian Wigeon -- (4) 60 American Wigeon -- (1),(4) 160 Mallard -- (1),(3),(4) 2 Northern Shoveler -- (4) 4550 Northern Pintail -- (1),(3),(4) 24 Canvasback -- (1),(4) 76 Redhead -- (1),(4) 5 Lesser Scaup -- (4) 150 Common Goldeneye -- (1),(4) 2 Gray Partridge -- (2) 1 Northern Harrier -- (4) 2 Bald Eagle -- (1),(3) 5 Killdeer -- (1),(2) 80 California Gull -- (1) 6 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) -- (3),(5) 4 Eurasian Collared-Dove -- (5) 2 Great Horned Owl -- (2) 1 Merlin -- (5) 5 Black-billed Magpie -- (1),(2) 1 Common Raven -- (3) 3 Horned Lark -- (1) 51 European Starling -- (2),(5) 2 American Tree Sparrow -- (1) 1 Song Sparrow -- (1) 8 House Finch -- (5) 20 House Sparrow -- (2),(5) From Blackie we stopped by Third Lake on the way back to Calgary. A huge number of birds there, somewhere between 4000 and 8000, generally somewhat distant. Mostly Pintails, but we also saw American Wigeon, Mallard, a few Canada Geese, and California Gulls. Clearly Pintails are on the move right now." Andrew Hart

These gorgeous Trumpeter Swans couldn't have picked a more beautiful setting, with the very distant Rocky Mountains (not seen in this closer shot) in the distance. The sun was shining brightly and the white feathers were dazzling. Quite near the beginning of a day of driving the backroads SE of Calgary on 14 April 2014, my daughter suddenly spotted them through a row of trees and bushes. We pulled over and walked a few steps to the edge of a huge field, and were in awe of these large, graceful birds. I think this was just a temporary stretch of water in the field, from all the recently melting snow, but there was enough room on it for the dozen or so Swans.

These gorgeous Trumpeter Swans couldn't have picked a more beautiful setting, with the very distant (but 48x zoomed) Rocky Mountains in the distance. The sun was shining brightly and the white feathers were dazzling - doesn't really show in my photo. Quite near the beginning of a day of driving the backroads SE of Calgary on 14 April 2014, my daughter suddenly spotted them through a row of trees and bushes. We pulled over and walked a few steps to the edge of a huge field, and were in awe of these large, graceful birds. Not sure if this was just a temporary stretch of water in the field, from all the recently melting snow, or a more permanent "slough". Plenty of room for the dozen or so Swans. Wish I was out there right now, though on a sunny day, unlike today. It's Good Friday today, the beginning of the Easter weekend. Beautiful, sunny weather would have been nice, especially for working people who get the day off. Instead, it's gloomy and unpleasant, looking like it's going to either rain or snow. Just checked the forecast and it's 1°C (windchill -2°C) this morning, supposedly getting up to 4°C this afternoon, with an 80% chance of rain and snow. Happy Easter weekend to everyone who celebrates!

This Trumpeter Swan at the Calgary Zoo was resting quietly while its mate slowly floated nearby. I always think they look so beautiful when they tuck their head into those soft feathers. I see Trumpeter Swans in the wild, too, but always from a distance.

The Trumpeter Swan is locally common from April to October, though I don't get to see them very often. The bird in my photo was at the Calgary Zoo. "The Trumpeter Swan was hunted almost to extinction for its feathers and meat in the early 20th century.... it is hoped that populations will continue to recover". From Birds of Alberta by Fisher & Acorn.

A Trumpeter Swan on a small creek at the Calgary Zoo, taken on March 2nd. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpeter_Swan www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Trumpeter_Swan/lifehistory

Went with a friend south and east of the city yesterday, to Frank Lake and then east to the Shepard area. The wind was terrible - strong and cold! Not a lot of birds in these locations, both of which are very popular with birders. We saw plenty of open water on the various sloughs/ponds, but a good many of the birds were Northern Shovelers. We saw quite a few Tundra and Trumpeter Swans, which is always a treat. These are Trumpeters in this photo. They are dazzling white when the sun shines on them.

Three Trumpeter Swans just starting to take off from one of the sloughs (ponds) outside the city. I prefer seeing them in flight, but thought I'd still post this one.

One of the Trumpter Swans at the Calgary Zoo was sleeping peacefully on my last visit. Two of these beautiful Swans share a walk-through aviary with several owls - Great Gray, Long-eared, Barred and Snowy Owls, also an injured Rough-legged Hawk.

Two Trumpeter Swans share the pool in the owl aviary at the Calgary Zoo. While one swam around, this other one had tucked it's head into its feathers and formed a beautiful circle. All parts fitted together perfectly : ) We do get these Swans in the wild, too, but they are not as common as the Tundra Swans. I love hearing the "trumpeting" of these amazing birds, especially when in flight.

A pair of Trumpter Swans lives in the winter months in the owl aviary at the Calgary Zoo. There are two small, heated ponds in there. When I was in the aviary yesterday, the Swans came out of the water and walked down the walk-through path right up to me. They'd never done this before, so it took me by surprise. One of them decided to lie down on the path by the heavy, metal gate, face to face with the Snowy owl with one eye (either a female or a young one). Almost like it wanted to visit : ) I was talking with a very enthusiastic, knowledgeable gentleman in there and he noticed the small, Long-eared Owl that tends to hide away very well. I have only ever twice seen this owl in there. I have seen Trumpeter Swans in the wild, but never this close.

Two of maybe 400 Trumpeter Swans that we saw today. We spent the whole, long day riding NW of Cochrane and then through the Sibbald and Exshaw areas in the mountains, finding a total of 69 species of bird : ).

We were treated to several beautiful, graceful Trumpeter Swans flying over the Glenmore Reservoir yesterday morning. Several were also swimming in narrow, open stretches of water at the Reservoir. These birds were flying the far side of the Reservoir, so this is a greatly cropped photo! Quite amazing and impressive to hear their "trumpeting"! "The Trumpeter Swan was hunted almost to extinction for its feathers and meat in the early 20th century. A breeding population survived west of Grande Prairie, Alberta, and families have been transplanted from there to other parts of this species's former range. It is hoped that populations will continue to recover. All Albertans should take pride in the conservation efforts that have allowed this species to recover." From Birds of Alberta by Fisher and Acorn.

A pair of these beautiful Trumpeter Swans lives in the aviary at the Calgary Zoo, along with the Great Gray Owls, two Snowy Owls and Barred Owls. Today, though, I noticed a new owl that I had never seen in there before. I think they have added a Long-eared Owl! I have seen Trumpeter Swans in the wild here, but they are either flying high overhead or are too far away on a slough. "The Trumpeter Swan was hunted almost to extinction for its feathers and meat in the early 20th century. Although their breeding numbers in Alberta are not up to pre-colonial levels, biologists are now growing concerned about overcrowding of Trumpeter Swans on their southern wintering areas. Their voice is a loud, resonant "bugle"." From Birds of Alberta by Fisher and Acorn.