| Common Name | Trumpeter Swan |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus buccinator |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 03/31/2018 |
| Media | |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Rich Kelley |
| Mailing Address | 17 Hog Island Rd Swanton, Vermont 05488 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 04/16/2018 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | A number of other reports, but I was alone |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 44.569881 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -73.176651 |
| Place Name | Mallett's Creek |
| Township | Colchester |
| County | Chittenden |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 05:00 PM |
| Length of Time Observed | Two sightings, almost 2 hours apart |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 700 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 400 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Nice day, bright, clear and calm |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | 8x42 binos, 500mm DSLR lens |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | Previous sightings in Swanton, Alburgh and Rutland over the past year |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Mallett's Creek is a small, slow-moving creek that runs into Lake Champlain's Mallett's Bay. Depending on the water level, there are pools / marsh along the creek. Swan was seen in one of those pools, east side of the interstate. |
| Behaviors Observed | Swimming calmly |
| Description of Vocalizations | N/A |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | First observed while traveling south on Interstate 89, which would be the far lane from where swan was swimming, unable to get a very clear look at that point. After running errand and returning on the northbound (closer) lane, I was able to get a reasonably good look at the swimming swan. Head and bill visible, with V-shaped forehead, wide lores and no orange/yellow or red visible. Rust staining on head was similar to that seen on swan in Swanton about 2 weeks prior. |
| Relative Size & Shape | No other birds around to compare to, other than a pair of wood ducks, but a substantial sized bird. |
| Head | Solid black bill, lores extending to eyes without narrowing, V-shape at top of bill visible. Neck held fairly vertical while swimming. |
| Feet & Bill | Not visible |
| Upper Back | Solid white |
| Lower Back & Rump | Solid white |
| Wings | Solid white |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | Solid white |
| Tail | Solid white, fairly short |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Tundra swan ruled out due to lack of yellow on bills and wide lores, solid black bill ruled out mute swan. |
| Other Notes & Comments | First sighting was at 5:03pm, headed south, better look was while traveling northbound at 6:54pm. Without a boat, the only reasonable vantage point for this pond is from the interstate, and I only stopped long enough to take a quick look at the head/bill and grab a couple of quick photos. A half-dozen or so other sightings / reports from the area also confirmed ID. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Immediately After |
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