Farewell Tundra Swan
Sharing a final post this season on the elegant Tundra Swans, I’m thinking no one will mind that.
These gorgeous swans are presently departing our region and beginning their long trek home to the Arctic tundra where they will breed and live directly on the ice.
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What a joy to see and listen to these huge birds as they live on the Chesapeake Bay and it’s tributaries for the winter.
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Tundra Swan at sunrise
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A tiny male Bufflehead leads the flock!
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At 16-23 pounds and a wingspan of 66 inches (168 cm), to see them fly by in close range is astounding.
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Parents and their youngster
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When they are 2-3 years old, Tundra Swans will pair up for life. When they migrate south for the winter, they travel with their season’s young in large flocks. The family will stay together and return back to the arctic together, where the young will venture to flocks of other non-breeding swans until they reach breeding age, while their parents prepare to breed again.
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Family of Three
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Family of Six
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It just so happened the two sets of families above were headed for a head-on collision, with no one wanting to change course.
Then the ruckus began….
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Lots of bickering
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Ouch! A youngster from the 3-family attacked a youngster from the 5-family
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A quick get-away from an angered parent
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The Classic “Goosing”
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All settled quickly as the 3-Family decided to change course and go behind the 5-family to pass on by.
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One of the parents of the 3-Family still had to flex it’s wings for the win
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while the 5-Family could care less, lol
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One of the youngsters had to follow with its own wing stretch
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A few more of my favorite photos….
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Tundra Swan, Snow Geese, Canada Goose
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