A handy swan ID (9th link from top) cheat sheet (from a host of sponsors-including Trumpeter Swan Society) can be found here at link below. Also, on page is a myriad of other helpful ID information.
http://coloradobirder.ning.com/page/birdbrains-1 Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn http://coloradobirder.ning.com/ On Jun 24, 4:28 am, Joe Roller <[email protected]> wrote: > Swan ID can be difficult at times, witness the amount of ID information > designed > to assist the budding birder with this vexing problem. > > So ro get a jump on the oft frigid late fall/early winter swan migration and > hone your ID skills, > consider repairing to the foothills of Mt. Evans to study and learn about > Trumpeter Swans in shirt sleeve weather. > > From I-70 west of Denver take the Evergreen Exit. Near Bergen Park turn > right on route 103 (aka Squaw Pass Road), > Jefferson County. Within a few miles reside a few Trumpeter Swans on a small > lake. The homeowner told me that > he brought them with him from Wisconsin three years ago (is this legal?) and > has kept the water open > through winter with a big fountain. He feeds them well, they look healthy > and presumably their wings > are clipped, so they are stuck there. (Clear Creek County listers please > note that they > cannot be harassed into flying a little west into that county). > Their companion is a Black Swan. > > One can study the head profile, body proportions, leg size and the other > salient > field marks of the Trumpeter Swan, engraining the images in the "ID skills" > part of your brain. When > winter arrives with confusing Trumpeter and Tundra (and the occasional Mute) > Swans, > one will be primed with these mental images. Photo op too. > > AND if you have Mandarin Duck, Jungle Fowl and some sparrow on your > "pending acceptance" list, now you can add Black Swan. > > Caution: take care in parking along the narrow shoulder of this busy road. > > Joe Roller, Denver -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
