Sunday, March 28, 2010

Trumpeter Swans in Stratford...

Finally, I found birds worth looking at! Hopefully, these will hold up and not be escapees.

I was driving to pick up a pizza, which took me past a small pond on the Stratford/Shelton line (actually in Stratford), when I noticed two non-Mute swans. I figured they were Tundras, based only on location. I quickly called a few people, and we agreed that these two swans were indeed Trumpeter swans.


No tags or bands were seen to indicate they are escapees, but like I said on CTbirds... that is not my field.

Frank Mantlik has some better shots, but here are two out of the bunch I took. We noted the red gape, long and straight bill, black legs, and overall huge-ness.
(click on photos for larger version)




-Brian-

5 comments:

  1. Hi Brian - cool pics. I had a couple of untagged Trumpeters a couple of years back with one of the hacked tagged birds over in NY State at Croton Point. Always wondered if or at what point in the re-introduction program they become countable. Luckily I also have the real deal from Wyoming and Montana - overall huge-ness is a very apt description ;)

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  2. Thanks, Luke.

    Likewise.... I got my lifer in Alaska!

    -Brian-

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  3. Brian,
    Nice going! You were very alert on that spot. I probably would have assumed that they were Mute Swans and driven by without taking a second look.
    By the way, that is a very nice photo of a Prairie Warbler on your blog's header.
    Charlie

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  4. Thanks, Charlie.

    That photo is one of the breeders at Bent of the River in Southbury. Very hard NOT to see one there in summer.

    -Brian-

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  5. Thanks for finding them! I went over at lunch today and got a couple of soggy pictures.

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