Vermont Rare Bird Reports 2018

Patrick Phillips
email:
Graham Rice
email:

temperature 59 degrees, Wind North 11 mph

Binoculars: Zeiss Victory SF 10X42
Camera: Nikon B700 60X Optical Zoom

Clem Nilan
Vermont- Trumpeter Swan stakeout US-VT 21 Mar 2017
Missisquoi NWR--Charcoal Creek US-VT 19 Mar 2018
Mud Creek WMA IBA US-VT 07 Oct 2018
Wyoming, USA
Grebe Lake, Yellowstone Park, Wyoming
Camping with backcountry permit
Anecdotally three camping trips in 1980

We were a party of three. Our initial plans were to kayak and paddleboard (Graham) to the mouth of the Missisquoi River. We stopped at and examined putting in at Louis Landing and then Shipyard Road but the winds were too strong and the water was too rough. We changed plans and travelled to Mud Creek WMA, west from Swanton. The first gate was locked so we parked at the second entrance. Following the railroad bed trail west, we crossed a bridge and arrived within .25 miles at Mud Creek Pond to our right. This 30-acre pond is irregularly rectangular and by my estimation 2000 feet by 350 feet, with one shorter side adjacent to the trail. As we reached the pond, we could hear and see Canada Geese on the far end. Patrick was the first to notice a very large white bird in the midst of the Canada Geese. We set up the scope and could immediately identify the bird as a swan from its enormous size a likely Trumpeter, but needing a better look and photos for confirmation.
Attempting to this better look, we travelled on foot in the same direction and left the trail to bushwack following the border of the pond. This approach did not wrk as the reeds at the pond’s edge blocked our view. We returned to our vehicles and put in our boats at the bridge near the WMA’s entrance. Travelling through three portages we were able to reach the open water of the pond. At this point the swan was much closer, approximately 1000 feet and still in the midst of Canada Geese, although at times swam with scaup. We hugged the shore and then used two islands as cover to move closer. The Wood Ducks and Canada Geese were aware of our presence and a few took flight as we approached. We were able to approach to the first and subsequently the second island where we were able to observe and photograph the bird at a distance of approximately 300 feet. The swan and geese were aware we were there and the geese tok flight and the swan followed in their wake, moving south.

Only choices here are Tundra vs. Trumpeter due to lack of orange on bill and rounded backside.

Looks to be a Trumpeter due to these factors taken together:
1) No discernible yellow on lores.
2) Head appears to be angled at peak as opposed to evenly rounded.
3) Eye seems to be more immersed in black area at base of upper bill/lores than a Tundra; Tundra Swans seem to have more separation, or less of a connection, between eye and lores.
4) The neck and head were angled downward in flight vs. more straight as with Tundra.

Images are included in the eBird checklist.