When I was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on the last day of winter, I decided to take a video of some of the Tundra Swans I found on the auto tour loop.
In addition to the swans calling in this video, I can hear Pied-billed Grebes, Red-winged Blackbirds, American Coots, plus a few calls from other birds.
Tundra Swan on the last day of winter – Nikon D500, f8, 1/4000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Later in the morning, I did find a few Tundra Swans that were a bit closer, and I took some images of them. While I wished that the swans had been a little closer, I was delighted to have them in my viewfinder.
Because we had such a warm winter, there wasn’t as much ice out on the marshes, and that meant the swans stayed way out on the ice shelves, or at least near them. Well away from the road.
It was a very strange winter. While we may still get some snow before winter finally leaves, with our warmer than normal temperatures, it isn’t likely to stick around for very long.
Tundra Swans – Bottoms Up – Nikon D500, f8, 1/3200, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
On the last full day of winter, I saw a lot of swan bottoms as they tipped their heads into the water to feed. I mean a whole lot of swan bottoms. It seemed a bit humorous to me at the time because all we will soon see are their tail ends as they do head north to their breeding grounds.
I always miss the swans when they leave. Maybe this year I will miss them even more than normal.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Tundra Swan photos plus facts and information about this species.
I haven’t seen Tundra Swans on the Niagara River since the end of February. They left early. Climate change???
Liz, I’d guess it is climate change. That really makes me sad.