| Common Name | Trumpeter Swan |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cygnus buccinator |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 04/27/2021 |
| Media | |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Rich Kelley |
| Mailing Address | 17 Hog Island Rd Swanton, VT 05488-8142 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 04/28/2021 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Julie Filiberti arrived shortly after I got there. Annette Kalinoski was arriving as I was leaving. I could probably find emails for both if necessary. Several other contemporary reports. |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 44.788236 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -72.998387 |
| Place Name | Fairfield Swamp WMA |
| Township | Fairfield |
| County | Franklin |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 03:45 PM |
| Length of Time Observed | About a half-hour |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 1000 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 300 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Generally clam, light breeze, low to mid 60s, really nice spring day |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | 10x binos, 30-60x scope. I didn't have a long lens with me, photos were with a 105mm lens and heavily cropped. |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | 9 previous documented sightings in eBird, all in VT and accepted by the VBRC. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | South end of Fairfield swamp is a mostly open pool near the access area. Several other species of ducks, GBH and Osprey in the area. |
| Behaviors Observed | Swan was swimming around for the duration I was able to observe it. |
| Description of Vocalizations | Nothing heard |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | Large white bird, obviously a swan from body shape / size / coloration. Swan was on far side of pond from the access area, and tough to see a lot of detail. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Biggest bird in the marsh, at least twice the body size of a nearby GBH and CAGOs |
| Head | Mostly 'white' with some rust shading. Through scope, I could see the lores were consistent with the eye size. No orange or yellow seen on bill. |
| Feet & Bill | Black bill, I couldn't see the feet |
| Upper Back | Solid white |
| Lower Back & Rump | Solid white |
| Wings | All white from what I could see. I didn't see them extended |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | Not visible from my angle |
| Tail | All white from what I could see. |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | This was obviously a swan. I didn't see any orange or yellow on the bill and the best look I had from the side seemed to have lores the same width as the eyes. However, differentiation from other swan species is admittedly somewhat based on several previous sightings that had a closer look. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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