FORMING A PAIR

Trumpeter Swan, Mississippi Valley, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa

With the end of winter and spring knocking at the door Trumpeter Swans dissolve their large congregations we may see sometimes during the icy season. We now find them separated in pairs , and if old enough hopefully ready to breed. I have photos of this swan and its partner but the distance between the two was a little too big for a picture that would say, we are a pair. As the sun started to get closer to the horizon the quality of light improved by the minute. The composition of the swan in the frame was kinda logical and at the end of the day I would call it an easy click. Trumpeter Swans form long-lasting pairs and may identify a nesting site when less than 2 years old, but often wait several more years to breed. The bird above has still some gray feathers, telling it might be still too young for breeding this year. This once-endangered and now recovering species is a great example about what can be done for wildlife protection, conservation, and restoration.

NATURE CLICKS #427 - TRUMPETER SWAN

I still remember when I saw the first Trumpeter Swans 2010 here in eastern Iowa. A year later it was great excitement to report about the first cygnet that had just hatched in a nest at the Mill Creek Ponds near Bellevue, Iowa. Every year since I return to this location in a side valley of the Mississippi and have witnessed the restoration of a bird that was once common in Iowa, but was gone from the state by the late 1880’s.

Every time during the day is probably a good time to watch the largest waterfowl in North America. It is not uncommon anymore to see Trumpeter Swans in and around the upper Mississippi Valley. The late afternoon or early evening on a day with blue sky is definitely the best time at the Mill Creek Ponds if you like to make a photograph. The warm and low light of the sun brings some structure to the feathers without risking overexposure of the image.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, Induro GIT 404XL tripod, Induro GHB2 gimbal head