ML456326711

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Nick and I were checking out the north end of Pike, when suddenly a large white bird came flying in from the south and splashed down on the water, only about 200 m away from our position!!! We immediately recognized it as a Swan, but which species?! However, after quick binoc checks, then further viewing with my Kowa TSN 773 25-60X spotting scope, we were soon convinced that this was indeed a Trumpeter!!! Field marks noted: Large, long-necked swan with head and upper neck stained rusty; the bird had a somewhat ‘Canvasback-like’ profile with fairly long black bill – culmen was straight and showed obvious salmon-pink mandible edges; the black facial skin tapered at a fairly straight angle to the broad loral area, which encompassed the eye; feathering on forehead formed a distinct “V” over top of bill. During the 15-minute observation period, we also heard the bird give several characteristic deep, trumpeting, almost nasal “oh-OH” calls, which was a bonus! Both of us took several images with our cameras, including some poor, but still somewhat useable digi-scoped ‘record shots’. It's been many years since I've been able to identify this species with certainty. Needless to say, NEW for 2022!!!

Technical information

Model

Canon PowerShot SX720 HS

ISO

100

Focal length

172 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.9

Shutter speed

1/200 sec

Dimensions

1024 pixels x 622 pixels

Original file size

465.92 KB