I saw this or a similar trio (presumed family) of TUNDRA SWANS just off the ice at Stewart Park today.
First I saw them in the very southeast corner of open water. Later they were off the swan pond.
On the adults, the black of the bill being pinched off in front of the roundness of the eye is a good
mark for Tundra Swan, as is the (optional) small patch of yellow which I saw on the bill of one of them.
For the young one Sibley notes that Trumpeter Swans at this stage would have a grayer back as
well as the head and neck, but Tundra (like this bird) has a whiter back.
While scoping from the taxi I heard and then saw overhead a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET in one
of the trees along the parking lot.
The KING EIDER was diving between the white lighthouse and the red lighthouse breakwater at 1:30pm,
then it swam south out of view on the west side of the white lighthouse.
The female LONG-TAILED DUCK was still off the ice near the southeast corner of the lake as were
several BUFFLEHEADS and a very few REDHEADS. COMMON GOLDENEYES and COMMON
MERGANSERS were farther offshore.
--Dave Nutter
First I saw them in the very southeast corner of open water. Later they were off the swan pond.
On the adults, the black of the bill being pinched off in front of the roundness of the eye is a good
mark for Tundra Swan, as is the (optional) small patch of yellow which I saw on the bill of one of them.
For the young one Sibley notes that Trumpeter Swans at this stage would have a grayer back as
well as the head and neck, but Tundra (like this bird) has a whiter back.
While scoping from the taxi I heard and then saw overhead a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET in one
of the trees along the parking lot.
The KING EIDER was diving between the white lighthouse and the red lighthouse breakwater at 1:30pm,
then it swam south out of view on the west side of the white lighthouse.
The female LONG-TAILED DUCK was still off the ice near the southeast corner of the lake as were
several BUFFLEHEADS and a very few REDHEADS. COMMON GOLDENEYES and COMMON
MERGANSERS were farther offshore.
--Dave Nutter
On Dec 22, 2010, at 03:13 PM, Elaina McCartney <[email protected]> wrote:
I'm curious about the ID and/or age of the swan with the bluish-gray neck on
the left in this picture (taken from pretty far away, north of Hog Hole).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emccartney/5283349692/
Elaina
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