Back in the 1960’s when I was a young boy the trumpeter swan almost became extinct. Over the intervening 50 years the swan has clawed itself back where several thousand now live in North America. In northern Minnesota I am privileged to often see and hear these noble creatures.

When trumpeter swans fly and sing out, it an amazing sight and sound. Their call truly sounds like a trumpet, and their stretched out necks looks like a medieval trumpet.  For this photo, I was using a very, very long zoom to not disturb this pair of birds … and hiding in some bull rushes. For more information on this largest swan in North America, please link to the Trumpeter Swan Society.

While walking back to my car, I also finally photographed the “bandit bird” (my nickname). For almost ten days I have been trying to get a good photo of a common yellow-throat. Normally these birds would be deep in thickets and marsh making a photograph impossible. Not today!

• View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon image to view at full size)

Trumpeter Swan

———-

Common Yellow-Throat