Rare Tundra Swans spotted on Bonnechere River

By Ken Hooles, Daily Observer

Tuesday, April 2, 2013 2:58:58 EDT PM

The first rare bird of this spring migration was reported by Rick O’Brien of the Golden Lake area on March 14. Both Rick and his wife spotted a pair of Tundra Swans on the Bonnechere River in front of their home. The sighting was confirmed by Manson Fleguel who thought that the swans may actually be Trumpeter Swans. The only way to differentiate these birds for sure is by a close examination of their bills, or, by their distinctive calls. The mystery was resolved a couple of days later when Ron Bertrand and Vic Harmer of Pembroke heard the swans calling and were able to determine that they were, indeed, Tundra Swans.

Tundra Swans are presently passing through Ontario in large numbers, especially in the Aylmer, Ontario, area. The odd swan strays east from this mass migration, and if we are lucky, someone will observe it in our area. This also occurs occasionally during the fall migration. The sighting of wild swans is always exciting!

The Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) is our most common swan and the most widespread in North America. It was formerly known as the Whistling Swan.

This swan is a large bird of about 53 inches with a wingspan of six to seven feet. It is all white, and like all swans, has a large, long neck. This swan has a black beak with a concave profile and often has a yellow basal spot.

This bird likes to reside in the northern Tundra during the summer. However, in all seasons and during migration, they can be seen on lakes, large rivers, bays, estuaries and even flooded fields.

The Tundra Swan is an exceptional swimmer. In order to eat, it likes to dab its head and neck below the water and feed on aquatic vegetation and roots.

This swan mates for life and has only one brood per year. The nest is normally found near open water or on an island and consists of a low mound of plant material such as mosses, dried grasses, or sedges.

Read on:  http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2013/04/02/rare-tundra-swans-spotted-on-bonnechere-river

Birds arriving at north-state wetlands

On a flooded rice field in remote Yuba County, a small flock of tundra swan ended their long journey this week and settled in the water in front of us. Off to our right, about 100 snow geese bobbed about.

Storms in the Arctic, Canada and the Pacific Northwest are sending roughly 5 million birds on the Pacific Flyway to wetlands on the bay, delta and refuges in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.

At 2 p.m. Tuesday, it felt like summer: 78 degrees, with crystal blue skies and a light breeze out of the northwest. But birds never lie. Winter is fast approaching. By Thanksgiving at this rice field off Woodruff Lane, a back-road connector link for highways 70 and 20, I've seen the fields look like carpets of white from so many snow geese, Ross' geese and swans.

At midweek, rafts of snow geese arrived at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Biologist Mike Carpenter and his crew then quickly ventured afield, across the complex's five refuges, to count the latest numbers.

"The birds are here," said Brandee Bethard at Sacramento refuge headquarters south of Willows (Glenn County). "And more are arriving every day."

Last year, 76,000 people took a break from their trips on I-5 and enjoyed the driving tour through the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Another 25,000 took the auto tour off Highway 20 through Colusa National Wildlife Refuge. Thousands more made their own personal trips to their favorite marsh along the bay or delta.

The people who pay for the refuges, the duck hunters with their licenses and duck stamps, have been struggling this month. The ducks seem to know the areas that are hunted and simply fly to the areas that are not and hang out there. Last weekend, across the hunt zones in refuges in the Sacramento Valley, the average was 0.7 to 1.7 ducks per hunter, with an overall average of 0 to 0.2 geese. A trip to the nearby driving tour is proof enough, though, that the ducks are here.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/Birds-arriving-at-north-state-wetlands-4017826.php#ixzz2BdgsESeG