Mission: Success

Trumpeter Swan, Magness Lake, Arkansas

We (Gardening Daughter, Granddaughter, Great-Granddaughter, and I) enjoyed our afternoon trip to Magness Lake, near Heber Springs, Arkansas.  The lake, about 60 miles northeast of our home, is the late November to early March home for a flock (170-200) of Trumpeter Swans.  Neither daughter nor I had seen these birds before, and the experience was well worth the trip.

Magness Lake is located on the E & W Wildlife Refuge.  The area from which visitors can observe the swans is separated from the lake by a heavy wire fence which, fortunately, has openings in it large enough to accommodate the extended lens of a camera.  All my photos were shot either through the fence or by standing on tip-toe to clear the fence.

We arrived at the lake around 3:15 and found it populated by a relatively small number of swans, myriad Ring-Necked Ducks, and one Graylag Goose. The photo below reminds me of a flotilla of aircraft carriers surrounded by tug boats!

 Trumpeter Swans and Ring-Necked Ducks

gathering at the edge of the lake to eat shelled corn thrown by visitors

It's hard to judge the size of the swans in a photograph, but for comparison purposes, the Ring-Necked Ducks are 17" long.  The swans are huge!  And noisy! I wish I could have captured the sounds they were making.

The bulk of the flock leaves the lake early in the morning to graze on distant fields and does not return until just before dark.  Unfortunately, we could not stay at the lake to see them.  Perhaps I can make the trip again sans young children and stay until the returning swans fly in. It must be a wonderful sight to see.

Sorry -- fuzzy foto

I got only one photo of a Trumpter in flight, and that one was on the far side of the lake, taking off with a great "whump, whump, whump" of wings beating against the water.  Even at a distance, though, it was easy to see that its wing-span was amazing  -- from what I've read about them, the wing-span is around eight feet.

I took a lot of photos, but I found upon examination that I am more successful in capturing a flower (which doesn't move around) than I was at capturing wild life.  I need more experience! 

 At center is a Greylag Goose, which also enjoys the free corn-handouts. The goose is about 34" long

Bottoms-Up! Juvenile Trumpeter Swan (note dark feathers) diving for corn thrown by Granddaughter

I judge this beautiful swan to be an adolescent - mostly white, as are adults,

with some remaining grey-brown feathers on head and  neck.

Serene

Young  Royalty

We were treated to a nice light show on the way home. I do love to see Crepuscular Rays.

Tomorrow is also a day.

On a Mission

Trumpeter Swans in Flight

Photo by Gerald Plowman

Trumpeter Swan Society

A few days ago, I wrote about Trumpeter Swans in Arkansas.  Today, Gardening Daughter, my six year old granddaughter, and  my great-granddaughter (age 18 months) are making a journey to Magness Lake, a little over 60 miles north of where we live, to see if we can get a glimpse (and a few photos) of these magnificent birds before they depart.  Fortunately, it's warmed up considerably, so we won't have to climb snow drifts to see them-- assuming they are still there.

If you can't wait to find out more about Trumpeter Swans, there's a wealth of information at the Trumpeter Swan Society website, the link to which is shown immediately below the photograph.

Wish us success.  I'll let you know what we find.

Tomorrow is also a day.

One, Two, Three, Alary *

Trumpeter Swan

image - Wikipedia

One - I like to learn something new every day, if I can.  Today, I learned from an article in this morning's Arkansas Democrat - Gazette that I have lived in ignorance of a wonderful thing that is almost next door to me (well, within 60 miles).  Around 200 trumpeter swans are currently in residence at a small lake in north central Arkansas. The swans have been coming to this private lake for almost 20 years (my ignorance is that, until today, I didn't know that), arriving with the full moon in November and leaving with the full moon in February. The article was accompanied by some wonderful photos which, of course, I cannot reproduce here.  Therefore, I  offer this YouTube video of a special report on Arkansas' trumpeter swans that was produced by television station AETN, the PBS station in central Arkansas.  The video is about 9 minutes long, but I hope you'll watch at least some of it.

Trumpeter Swans in Arkansas

Produced by AETN

Two - There are several things that push my 'hot button.'  Education or, more specifically the lack or poor quality thereof, is one of them.  Another article in the above mentioned newspaper pushed that button.  According to a front page article written by Evie Blad, more than fifty percent of the 22,342 first time students entering Arkansas' (public) institutions of higher learning in the fall of 2010 require remedial course work in at least one subject - mathematics, English, or reading.  Inquiring minds want to know... why? What in the world has happened to our educational system? Is it just in Arkansas? If the system itself is not to blame, who is?  I solicit your comments.

Three -  It's official.  With this post, since the first day of January, 2011, I have published as many posts as I did in all of 2010. 

Alary! * If you have no idea what this means, you never played a children's game that was a popular recess activity when I was in elementary school. (I know, I know -- back in the Dark Ages!)  Male readers, you are excused; this game was played exclusively by girls, as far as I know. As I remember them, the accompanying words to the game are "One, two, three, alary; four, five, six, alary; seven, eight, nine, alary; ten alary, postman." 

Tomorrow is also a day.