| Common Name | Trumpter Swan |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus buccinator |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 04/20/2018 |
| Media | |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Rich Kelley |
| Mailing Address | 17 Hog Island Rd Swanton, VT 05488 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 01/06/2019 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Unknown |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 44.5716 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -73.1784 |
| Place Name | Mallett's Creek |
| Township | Colchester |
| County | Chittenden |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 11:50 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | A couple of minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 250 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 500 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Overcast, light snow, light breeze, mid 30s. |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | 8x42 binos / 500mm camera lens |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | A half-dozen or so other sightings in various locations |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Mallett's Creek extends east from Lake Champlain into a marshy area. In the spring, it's generally a significant sized width |
| Behaviors Observed | Swan was just swimming on it's own |
| Description of Vocalizations | N/A |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | The afternoon before, I was driving north on Interstate 89, and saw something swan-sized on the west side of the interstate. I was going the other way and late afternoon traffic made stopping a poor option. About 6:40 am on 4/20/2018, I was traveling southbound, putting me on the same side as the swan. I was unable to stop at the time, but returned later that morning when traffic was lighter and was able to stop in the break-down lane briefly in order to take a few photos. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Large bird, |
| Head | slightly rusty-white with no other markings |
| Feet & Bill | Not visible |
| Upper Back | white with no other markings |
| Lower Back & Rump | white with no other markings |
| Wings | Not seen extended |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | white with no other markings, or not visible |
| Tail | white with no other visible markings |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Mute swan ruled out by lack of orange on bill. Tundra ruled out by wider lores, extending full-width to the eye |
| Other Notes & Comments | This report was completed & submitted late, and largely reconstructed from my eBird list. Myself and others saw a Trumpeter Swan in the Mallett's Creek area on March 31st, and I had submitted a RSD form then. (others may have as well). I was under the impression that only one submission was needed for a location. Recently, I heard from Ian that a separate report should be completed to account for the 3-week gap since the previous sighting. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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