USFWS Biologist Shilo Comeau reports to TTSS from Martin, South Dakota:

High Plains Trumpeter Swan FlockDuring the 2009 survey, biologists counted a record-high 523 swans in the High Plains Flock (HPF). This is an increase of 22% from the 2008 estimate (Fig. 2), and was primarily the result of a higher number of cygnets and breeding pairs observed (Table 1). The number of breeding pairs increased, and correspondingly so did the number of broods and average brood size. However, the number of non-breeding pairs remained relatively stable (71 to 72). The 2009 results are above the 20-year average for total birds (298 ± 21), white birds (213 ±1), and cygnets (86 ±6). The Flock continues to experience a positive growth rate of 4.8% annually from 1990 to 2009 (Fig. 3). The overall production of cygnets increased this year and the index of production rate (i.e., cygnets/white birds) was (0.49) compared to the long-term average (0.44). The specific results for each category are listed in Table 1.

The number of swans counted this year is the highest on record for the HPF and this was attributed to an increase in breeding pairs and cygnet production. All the production parameters for this flock increased, including the number of breeding pairs and average brood size. This increase in production could be attributed to the coinciding factors of a large number of white birds becoming reproductively active and an improvement in habitat quality.

The full report can be found at http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/birds/trumpeterswan/TRUS-SURVEY-REPORT09.pdf

Forest Service map

TRUMPETER SWANS FEATURED on WEBSITE OF JANE GOODALL

Photo: Three Trumpeter Swan Cygnets by David K. Weaver

On the road some 300 days a year lecturing as an advocate for wildlife, Dr. Jane Goodall discovers many fascinating stories of endangered species and the people who have labored to save them.  In her latest book, Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink, Dr. Goodall chronicles many of these inspiring efforts.

With co-authors Thayne Maynard and Gail Hudson,  she has collected the stories into a 392 page volume that focuses on the very most endangered species in the world.  On her associated website, Hope for Animals and Their World, she highlights additional species, including the Trumpeter Swan.  You’ll find rich descriptions of her personal experiences with Trumpeters portrayed in prose. She describes standing close to them, the sounds they make, the size of their feet.

Jane Goodall chronicles the decline of Trumpeters and the establishment of The Trumpeter Swan Society, which began with a small group of dedicated individuals committed to the swan’s secure restoration.  She writes about a mid-1970’s TTSS conference near Yellowstone where managers weighed the merits of restrained populations held by the tether of winter feed. In attendance was Ruth Shea, currently a TTSS Director. Listening to those how envisioned had a larger vision, one that has fueled a life passion and years of professional work with swans. Ruth’s vision and life story resonates with Dr. Goodall’s. Both have experienced intense field research time that inspired them to become advocates for their species.

Dr. Goodall continues with the 1960 launch of Trumpeter restoration at LaCreek National Wildlife Refuge, located in South Dakota on the border of Nebraska. She describes a personal visit to the area, guided by biologists Tom Koerner and Shilo Comeau on a bitter cold day. She shares rich memories of seeing two swans in flight.

 She goes on to describe restoration in western Montana, and gives a great description of swan biologist Greg Neudecker, a former University of Minnesota football player.  Greg is quite at home handling tenacious swans, working with conservation-minded landowners, and inspiring public participation in restoration efforts. Applauding that Trumpeter restoration success is possible in a region where high quality wetlands are held by private ranchlands, author and activist Jane Goodall says that nowhere on Earth is there a better model for conservation than the Blackfoot program.

Her closing section holds a sweeping quote from TTSS’ Ruth Shea who concludes that the Trumpeter Swan “was nearly destroyed by the unthinking actions of many people across North America. But it also was restored by the thoughtful and dedicated actions of many people, who shared a common vision and worked together.“

If you share this vision, please take action! Join TTSS and help us be more effective today!

ANNOUNCING: Trumpeter Watch

A Citizen-Science Project to Monitor Winter Trumpeter Swan Distribution
YOU CAN HELP!! Nov 1, 2009 – May 1, 2010

Photo by Gerald Plowman

Improving winter security is a TTSS strategic goal for Trumpeters coast to coast. This year, we plan to closely monitor Interior Population Trumpeter Swans. You can help! Join our network of volunteer observers to document the changing winter distribution of Trumpeter Swans in the following states: NE, KS, OK, TX, eastern NM & CO, MO, AR, IL, IN, KY, TN, LA, MS, AL, VA, MD, and DE (or any other Interior or Atlantic State where Trumpeter Swans are observed).

The task of restoring Interior Population Trumpeters has been highly successful but is not yet done. As northern breeding flocks expand, increasing numbers of Trumpeters are pioneering towards historic wintering areas south of the 40th parallel. Trumpeters are showing up in places they have not frequented for over 100 years. Little is known about the numbers of southward migrants, the habitats they use, or the conditions that they are encountering.

TTSS has launched Trumpeter Watch, a citizen science program to help track Trumpeters on the move as they explore and use new winter habitat. TTSS is reaching out to members and active birders to submit winter observations of Trumpeter Swans and the habitats that they are using.  Trumpeter Watch will serve as an effective information system into which observers can report sightings.

As of Nov. 1st, we have observers registered in five states, and our first sightings reports have been sent in by David Rogles of Missouri. He spotted 10 Trumpeters arriving at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, an Audubon Important Bird Area (IBA). Dave reports that numerous swans in the past have stopped here during migration and last winter they had 360 or more swans over-wintering. Thanks to David for being our first registered participant in Trumpeter Watch to report!

Summarized data from the winter sightings will be given to managers and presented on our website to help document the current winter distribution of Trumpeters as they move southward and identify potential over-wintering sites. It is our hope that details of current use patterns and the habitats used will help provide a solid foundation for management efforts to rebuild more secure winter distributions.

WHY IS YOUR HELP NEEDED?♦ By 1900, Trumpeter Swans were extirpated from nesting and wintering areas in Central and Eastern North America. Lost with the swans was their historic knowledge of migration routes and southern wintering sites. For Trumpeters, migration is mostly a behavior learned from experienced adults. Therefore, reestablishing traditional historic patterns is difficult.

♦ In recent decades, wild nesting populations of Trumpeters have been successfully restored in several northerly states and Ontario. Most swans now winter near their northern breeding areas, but an unknown number are pioneering southward and beginning to establish use of more southerly wintering sites.

♦ Little is known regarding the numbers and groupings of southward migrants, the location and characteristics of sites they are pioneering, duration of use, or problems they may be encountering.

♦ By providing information through Trumpeter Watch, observers can help document the changing distribution of wintering Trumpeter Swans and help identify potential new southerly wintering sites.

We ask you to REGISTER for Trumpeter Watch
You can do so online at http://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/. Observers report any first observation of a Trumpeter Swan at a new location to us as soon as possible, using our Trumpeter Watch OBSERVATION FORM.   Regular watchers submit a summary of observations to us by the 10th of each month throughout the study period. We want to document key habitat information as well as details about the swans.

Photo by Dan Hartman, www.wildlifealongtherockies.homestead.com

Grande Prairie, a City as Elegant as its Swans?

    The Elegance of a Trumpeter Swan…

A lush-colored image of conifer and hardwood trees, people enjoying a walk while enjoying fresh air and fall colors adorns the title banner of the home page of the Grande Prairie, Alberta website. Embedded in the image is the city’s logo, an emblem that displays two Trumpeter Swans. They appear alert, centered between other symbols depicting nature and culture.

This fall, city planners have asked for input from residents as they wrestle with selection of a new city logo and how best to brand their city for future posterity. Proponents of change want to move from using the description “City of Swans”, citing Grande Prairie’s other abundant attributes. The description stems from the 1940’s, a time when Trumpeters were considered extremely rare. Resident farmer Joe Tomshak saved a clutch of abandoned cygnets. They bonded so tightly to the farmer that he could be recognized by the elegant white birds circling his vehicle as he went shopping. The Trumpeters’ offspring gave rise to multiple generations of swans that have brought joy to the community and visitors for decades.

A productive economic climate lures the rapidly growing city to portray itself as more than the story of a farmer and his tie to beauty, wildlife and riches difficult to quantify. Now a city of over 50,000 people, Grande Prairie is widely recognized as a vibrant place to invest. A 134-page community profile on its website sports a dynamic cover with the phrase Classic Values, Future Vision. In the report, Grande Prairie compares itself to Dubai, a city diversifying and strengthening its economy beyond the oil industry. City officials recently awarded a Seattle-based firm a $36,000 contract to design a new image and logo. In a commendable effort to involve citizen input, residents have been asked to fill out a poll, answering questions on what they find important and indicative of quality of life in their land. It’s a tremendous effort to grasp the essence of what Grande Prairie offer and who they are as a community. The mayor’s office explains in the poll’s introduction “In a simplified form, determining what our brand is might be compared to questioning how Grande Prairie might be described if it were a person.”

Right now the city’s website has extensive information section about Trumpeter Swans. One can find viewing sites around the city and details of its annual Swan Festival, the 11th annual just hosted in April, 2009. Two pages describe the area around Grande Prairie and its recognition as a globally-significant Important Bird Area, designated and announced at the Swan Festival in the year 2000. High value habitat for waterfowl comes from the area’s mosaic of agricultural land, deciduous and mixed woods and surrounding wetlands – the same vibrant mix portrayed on the city’s website banner. The IBA is named for Grande Prairie’s symbol, the Trumpeter Swan.

In selecting a brand, Grande Prairie hopes to distinguish its diversity, economic promise, family values and rising cultural strength. In asking its residents to consider their identity, instructions for completing the poll caution that branding is a wide-reaching process and that “logos and slogans are not brands; they only represent the brand and what it promises.”

Perhaps when the introspection is complete, Trumpeters that currently adorn their logo will point the way – standing as they are between a mix of nature and culture. Grande Prairie has a perfect opportunity to build on its entrepreneurial spirit, economic promise and cultural riches – while retaining and protecting globally significant wildlife habitat.

Including the values of wildlife and wetlands surrounding Grande Prairie in this branding effort will be particularly important if Trumpeters are to persist as the city grows. As the mayor’s office states on the website “future development should support the selected vision.” As an organization dedicated to assuring the vitality and welfare of wild Trumpeter Swans, we suggest that the City of Swans can embrace its history as it expands on its vision. In this way it can become “A City as Elegant as its Swans….” We welcome your comments!

Photo courtesy of Jozien Keijzer of Mendenhall, Yukon. Query Trumpeter Swan on her Flickr account to see more of her photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jozien/
Thank you Jozien.

Trumpeter Swan Society Photo of the Month October 2009

Professional Photographer and TTSS Photo of the month host Greg Smith says:   

Derek’s capture of this swan interaction utilizes a number of photographic concepts that enhance an already

Winter Trumpeter Swans by Derek Griggs

outstanding photo!  The rule of thirds plays out nicely with the foot splash leading the eye from the left to where the two birds fill the middle third and then to the final third, where your imagination plays with what may happen next.  Capturing the tones of the light morning fog (which changes the blue water into a subtle blue-white) creates no discrimination with the tonal quality of the birds – in Derek’s photo there is no jarring contrast.  The last concept is the lighting. 

My eye is enamored by Derek’s superb lighting.  Notice the early morning light coming from the right that illuminates the dorsal side of the wings, neck and head.  Then look at the areas on the bird’s bodies that fall into shadows.  Everything has detail, which is what you want when shooting this type of scene.  And Derek caught it, which just makes this great photograph an outstanding photograph!

Featured Photographer of the Month – Derek Griggs

Derek Griggs describes his interest in photography beginning as it provided a way to get out of the house and into the woods. He loves to get outdoors as much as possible. If it’s not through photography, it’s by fishing, camping, biking, or simply walking his dog.  He recently challenged himself to go for 100 Photos in 100 Days, completed just last month. Find the images and share his adventures on his Blog.  You’ll also find more of Derek’s images on his website, Natural Vision Photography, which he shares with his brother Chad, another photographer.

 Photography continues to allow Derek time to go for a walk in the woods, to seea Bald Eagle or hear a woodpecker.  He says “a simple outing with mycamera gets me away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life all while hopefully being able to capture a moment in Nature at its best”.  His main pursuit is wildlife photography but he also enjoys taking landscape and sports images.

Derek expresses a desire to continue learning more and more about photography through the pictures that he takes.  In the winter he keeps an eye on the Trumpeter Swans at Monticello, close to his nearby home in Maple Grove.  He hopes his desire for perfection will allow him to continue to improve the quality of his work. He enjoys sharing “the pictures that inspire me”.  We thank Derek for inspiring us with October’s Photo of the Month!

Road Improvements at Red Rock Lakes NWR – A boost for Trumpeter Swans, their managers & watchers

 

Refuge managers are often called upon to accomplish many tasks. This is certainly true at remote Red Rock Lakes NWR, located three hours from any reasonable sized city or supply center.

Landscapes of Red Rock Lakes, the Centennial Valley and neighboring Madison Valley hold some of the grandest scenery on earth.  On glorious work days, manager Bill West may schedule a survey flight to monitor species targeted for management, or those of special concern. With biologist Jeff Warren, West will scan a maze of lush wetland habitat for Trumpeter Swans and Moose, studying a system still revealing its complexities.  Back on the ground there are reports to write and directives from Denver and Washington-based staff to heed. 

When the national Refuge Roads Coordinator asked all refuge staff to pay more attention to the condition of roads, regional staff and Mike Parker, past refuge manager, took this directive to heart.  West inherited teh project and has since overseen  a $700,000 project to improve access to Lower Red Rock Lakes. Refuge visitors will now more reliably be able to reach a primitive campground, boat launch and water impoundment structure as construction is wrapping up this week. He is proud of the project; one of three such projects in Montana designed to improve access to public land and paid for with Federal Highways funds. The other two sites are Montana’s Beartooth and Glacier National Park’s Going to the Sun Highways.

Crews have spent much of a year on what was often an impassible five mile stretch of road. They’ve allowed water to channel through new culverts and over concrete-lined water fords. With large equipment they’ve raised the roadbed, removed muck, and filled up to ¾ mile stretch of road at a time with gravel. A goal of the project was not to change the width or overall footprint of the road in keeping with the wilderness character of the refuge.

This project is done, but on completion, the workers won’t be going home. West was ‘shovel-ready’ this year as projects were called out for possible economic stimulus funding. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act another $116,000 has been awarded to Red Rock Lakes to fund an important access link to another part of the refuge. Visitors will now have safe passage to walk to Sparrow Pond and Slough. A new bridge will be placed over Odell Creek where a condemned bridge precluded staff vehicle access to water control structures. These were needed to regulate flows to several ponds and wetlands, some which may benefit nesting Trumpeter Swans. Much of the future of Greater Yellowstone’s declining Trumpeter Swan population will be determined by productivity on this western side of the ecosystem. Dedication, attention to an opportunity such as the stimulus funding and a wide-gamut of behind-the-scenes work are all needed in the effort to secure this vulnerable population. This week at work, West will witness a parade coming down the road from Monida, one with a new bridge and the crane to emplace it.

Photo from a survey flight - by Bill West, Manager – Red Rock Lakes NWR

 

For an Alaskan Trumpeter Swan, a Happy Ending

Four kayakers from the Seward-based company Kayak Adventures Worldwide  recently teamed up with biologists

Alarmed Trumpeter Mate Takes to the Sky photo: Wendy Doughty, Kayak Adventures Worldwide

from the Alaska Sealife Center (ASLC)  to rescue a Trumpeter Swan illegally shot and injured by a vandal’s bow and arrow. Answering a call to help from Heidi Cline, Avian Curator for the ASLC, co-owner Wendy Doughty got a show of support from four of her guides. In a quick response they closed the office and headed north to Tern Lake to volunteer their skills.

Years of paddling experience paid off as despite its injuries the swan proved to be wary, swift and strong. Its mate, alarmed, took to the sky. On a first attempt, the kayakers steered the swimming bird for close to a mile, into a narrow cove where biologists waited by a 70 ft. net strung for the capture. On seeing the net, the swan abruptly turned and swam rapidly the other direction, crossing one of the small islands in Tern Lake. The kayakers quickly reversed and came up with plan B in which they successfully moved the bird toward a shoreline. Here ASLC’s Tasha DiMarzio, senior aviculturist, jumped into the water to make the capture. The bird calmed under her experienced grasp.

Tern Lake is located at the busy intersection of the highway from Anchorage where it branches to Seward or Homer. Here, a small crowd gathered and several media people were on hand for the capture which lasted about an hour. Reporters from the Seward City News wrote: ‘“Its wing was pinned to its body,”’ said ACLC Stranding Coordinator Tim Lebling. Lebling described the target arrow as one shot at close range, piercing almost 10cm into the swan’s chest. Thankfully, it missed the swan’s vital organs.  

Now two weeks later, Tim Lebling reports to The Trumpeter Swan Society that the swan is back with its mate and doing

Trumpeter Rescue photo: Wendy Doughty Kayak Adventures Worldwide

well and that Heidi Cline has returned to see the bird actively foraging and mobile. Lebling says “our hopes are that it will lose the swelling and pain from the arrow and regain strength by October when they usually migrate from that particular lake. The ASLC will continue to monitor both swans until then.” If twenty-three pounds of fast-moving Trumpeter captured the admiration of the rescuers, their actions certainly inspire ours. The care and concern expressed by the community for this individual Trumpeter certainly bodes well for our efforts to restore and secure Trumpeter Swan populations continent-wide. Visit us at www.trumpeterswansociety.org for more details on our work with this magnificent species.

Trumpeter Swan Society Photo of the Month Sept. 2009

Symmetry of Trumpeter Swans

Professional Photographer and TTSS Photo of the month Greg Smith says:      

What jumps out in this photograph is the symmetry of the four birds with outstretched necks.  The second aspect that captures your attention is that all four birds are in crisp focus and looking in slightly different directions.  It is only when your gaze lingers that you notice the reflections on the calm water.  The russet necks complement the blue and the horizontal format does wonders for what would normally be a vertical shot.  Ed’s capture of these four swans utilized composition, lighting, exposure and depth of field to create an outstanding art print!

Featured Photographer of the Month – Ed Post       

Ed Post became a serious photographer in 1990 after attending a week-long nature photography workshop. Ed now leads annual workshops and photo tours. He is also a frequent lecturer on nature and landscape photography. His work ahs been widely published and he has received honors and awards in contests and exhibitions. Ed also lends a hand to the busy photography staff of his hometown newspaper by accepting assignments to cover sports, features and breaking news. Enjoy more of Ed’s work displayed at www.edpostphotography.com

TTSS Works to Enhance Trumpeter Swan Conservation in Oregon

After a near-decade hiatus, TTSS is pleased to announce that Trumpeter Swan releases have resumed in Oregon. A long history of Trumpeter Swan releases in Oregon began back in the late 1930’s, when the Trumpeters from Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana were transported to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon. While winter waterfowl habitat is limited at Malheur NWR, Summer Lake WA and surrounding areas have open water and adequate aquatic vegetation during the winter for Trumpeters.

Summer Lake Wildlife Area manager Marty St. Louis’ photo of four swans swimming away from their boxes records the resumption of Oregon’s Trumpeter Swan Enhancement Program that had been suspended. TTSS, in partnership with Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Malheur NWR, the Wyoming Wetland Society and others, hopes the number of nesting Trumpeters will increase in wetlands east of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington. The release at Summer Lakes WA is strategic to help swans learn to winter in south-central Oregon. To achieve this goal, four yearling Trumpeter Swans raised by the Wyoming Wetland Society were released by ODFW staff on June 20, 2009 at Rest Lake on Summer Lake Wildlife Area in south-central Oregon. A number of swans were released there in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Two family groups were observed there this past winter.

This program is not without costs. A grant from the Felburn Foundation funded this initial release and TTSS will be raising funds to continue the program. If you are interested in “adopting” an Oregon Swan or contributing to this project please contact us! Executive Director John Cornely & Board Vice-President Gary Ivy coordinate this effort for TTSS.