According to the Comox Valley Naturalist Checklist Trumpeter Swans are uncommon in this area by now, having left for Northern breeding grounds. This group are still here today in Railway Grade Marsh.
My question is whether the juvenile (with wings spread) could be moulting? Its feathers look most disorganized in this picture.
Dennis Forsyth writes: It should be in the late stages of its moult at this time of year. The juveniles stay with the parents for their first year and typically complete the migration north with them at one year of age. Usually they still show considerable grey but are becoming more and more white by the month. They will be driven away by the parents on the breeding grounds and will hang out with other juveniles, or, more properly, sub-adults for another year before attaining full adulthood and mating themselves. This one is really only grey in comparison to the adults in the group. I think the full moult is quite gradual. When they first arrive in the fall they are much darker.
By the way, the white sub-adults are identifiable as two or three year olds if you can see their legs. They will be a mottled black as opposed to solid black in full adults. Nice shot of this one. They were all having their morning bathe when I was there. Dennis
Mike Morrell writes:CV Naturalists do weekly counts of swans in the fields they normally use in Comox Valley. Counts are posted at the CVN website: http://comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/trumpeter-swan-counts-20162017/
The 28 Mar count was 889, down slightly from the season peak of 1220 on 14 Mar. Through the winter most counts were around 900-1000, except during heavy snow cover, when counts in the regular spots dipped significantly as the birds apparently dispersed. [Maybe to open water in the harbour and rivers? MM
Thanks Mike
“This group are still here today in Railway Grade Marsh”
I do not agree:
http://blog.showmenaturephotography.com/17286/blog/trumpeter-swan-videos/
Sincerely, Amanda