Seward, Alaska
After an absence of many days, the resident TRUMPETER SWAN family with all three cygnets returned to the ol’ homestead at Mile 1, Nash Road. They have been spotted and recognized from Mile 15 to Bear Lake to various spots in Seward.
It was fun to watch them feed, bottoms up, in a loose group. One cygnet fed quite close to first one parent and then the other, providing a nice comparison of 5-month old to an adult.
The cygnet is almost if not as large as an adult. The plumage on the back and wings is rapidly changing to white, but the neck and head remain gray. The youngster’s bill is still pink between the black base and tip.
The family looked healthy and well-fed, perhaps enjoying the extended availability of vegetation in this ice-free November so far. I expect them to remain all winter as residents. We’ll see!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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