Trumpeter Swan - provenance

The nature of our interest leads to some grey areas. One of which is provenance, especially with regard to Wildfowl. Private collections abound, complicating matters somewhat! I'm sure you get the drift.

Could North America's heaviest bird reach Britain? The odds say no. It's a short distance migrant along the west coast and is spreading further East recently due to a re-introduction scheme.

"The TRUMPETER SWAN is a rare vagrant to California, but a very few may occur almost annually in flocks of Tundra Swan in the Klamath Basin or the Central Valley in winter. We presume most are not discovered due to identification problems. Most records are concentrated in the northeast but there are coastal records south to Los Angeles County" - Don Roberson.

That's still a long way from Suffolk! We have had records of Pacific species recently...Tufted Puffin, Long-billed Murrelet?

Odds are they're escapes...BUT...there's always that uncertainty...isn't there?

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Back to yesterday.

I passed a few admirers leaving the scene who sent me in the right direction. A sign for the reserve might have helped! I made my way along the floodbank and soon found the group of Swans feeding in the flooded field. It was windy, very windy.

I positioned myself below the bank, which made things (slightly) better. I then scanned through the various groups that were closest. Of course, no sign. The largest group was furthest away and contained the Trumpeters...

Pick 'em out?

Bathing

...and together in the fading light...

Really glad I went. It's not ALL about ticks...far from it. I won't be holding my breathe for one here...but I have my private records...and thoughts.