Trumpeter Swans and Montana’s Common Loon
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By Elaine Caton, Swan Restoration Coordinator Written for the Montana Loon Society‘s 2021 Newsletter In 2005, the Blackfoot Challenge in partnership with the US Fish... Read More
Swan Blog
The Swan Blog
Since 2009, our Trumpeter Swan Restoration Coordinator Elaine Caton has been writing “The Swan Blog,” periodically updating members of our community with exciting developments in the ongoing efforts to restore trumpeter swans to their native wetland habitats in the Blackfoot. Read the latest entry and catch up on archival posts here.
SwanBlog Update: Keep Calm and Paddle On
By Elaine Caton, Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program Coordinator In spite of a worldwide pandemic and all the associated changes to human life that have gone... Read More
SwanBlog Update: Blackfoot Trumpeters unaffected by Covid-19!
By Elaine Caton Spring (or Mud Season, as we tend to call it around here) is returning to the Blackfoot, and so are the Trumpeter... Read More
Tracking Swan Movements
By Elaine Caton, Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program Coordinator In July we captured two non-nesting adult swans in the Blackfoot and fitted them with very lightweight... Read More
Ups and Downs
By Elaine Caton, Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program Coordinator This past spring saw quite a few days of cool, wet weather in the Blackfoot, which seemed... Read More
Snow Geese Scouts
Many Blackfoot residents have noticed the unusually high numbers of Snow Geese (along with swans and ducks) in the watershed this year, and that they... Read More
Swans in the Blackfoot: Trumpeters or Tundras?
This time of year, as well as in the fall, I have to take a close look at–or listen to–any swans I see, to know... Read More
Summer Swan Roundup
Where’s the best place to be in a hot, smoky summer of fires? A wetland, of course! While the rest of us were sweating and fretting, our... Read More
A New Generation of Swans
It seems that every year is a little different for Trumpeter Swans in the Blackfoot, and this year is no exception! At least 36 swans... Read More
Blackfoot Swans in good winter hands
In late January I made my annual pilgrimage to the Ruby River valley in southwestern Montana to look for wintering Blackfoot swans. Many of the... Read More
A Bevy of Swans
2016 has seen the most pairs of Trumpeter Swans in the Blackfoot, the greatest number of nests, and the most cygnets hatched here since reintroduction... Read More
A Good Spring for Swans
It has been a thrilling spring in the Blackfoot for swan watchers! There are more trumpeters around than ever, with lots of folks reporting swans... Read More
Trekking Swans
In early June a pair of swans (6A6 and mate) had three cygnets that had hatched on a wetland pond near Ovando (see previous blog post).... Read More
First Babies
The first Blackfoot cygnets of 2015 hatched from a nest on a pond near Ovando on June 7! 6A6 and his mate (an unbanded... Read More
Home Again
Trumpeter Swans first began making their appearances in the Blackfoot in early March, back from wintering grounds in southwestern Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Since then,... Read More
Summer Update
The Blackfoot Trumpeter Swan population continues to grow, with more swans returning to the watershed this year and cygnets hatching from two nests. We had... Read More
Spring Swans
This spring has brought positive signs for the Blackfoot Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project. At least five pairs have established or returned to territories here in... Read More
Fall Flights
Blackfoot Valley Trumpeter Swans are moving about the valley in preparation for their fall migration. On a small lake in the Ovando area a few... Read More
Interesting Summer for Swans
This has been an interesting summer for the Blackfoot Trumpeter Swan Project. We had a record number of six pairs of swans set up (or... Read More
Spring Happenings
Once again young Trumpeter Swans have been released successfully in the Blackfoot valley. Ten young swans are enjoying their freedom and learning to live in... Read More
Swan Release and Breakfast Raffle
In 2011, Trumpeter Swans successfully nested and fledged cygnets in the Blackfoot Watershed for perhaps the first time in nearly two centuries. The Blackfoot Trumpeter... Read More
Winter Wanderings
Blackfoot Valley Trumpeter Swans may have left our watershed for the winter, but that doesn’t mean they have been entirely out of sight. We’ve received... Read More
Trumpeters and Tundras
The passing fall has seen some swans leave the Blackfoot and others arrive. However, unlike during the summer months, not all the swans we are... Read More
Cygnets Take to the Air
Another milestone came in the Blackfoot Trumpeter Swan Reintroduction Program this month, as the cygnets hatched last spring began to fly. A pair of swans... Read More
Swans on the move
During the summer months, Trumpeter Swans in the Blackfoot were pretty stationary. Newly released young swans have had the feathers on their wings clipped, so... Read More
Summer Summary
Blackfoot Valley swan family in early August This has been a good summer for Blackfoot Valley Trumpeter Swans. Seven cygnets from two nests seem to... Read More
A Growing Population
The Blackfoot Valley Trumpeter Swan population continues to grow with the hatching of 9 cygnets in June! The same two pairs of swans that produced... Read More
Spring Happenings
May was an exciting month for the Blackfoot Valley swans and the many people who care about them. At least 3 pairs of swans began... Read More
Return of the Swans
Trumpeter Swans released in the Blackfoot in previous years are returning to the valley in good numbers this year! Here is a little information to... Read More
Quilt & Swan Release Raffle
For the first time in nearly two centuries, trumpeter swans have successfully nested in the Blackfoot Watershed and we are proud to announce that seven... Read More
Swans on the Move
Some of the Blackfoot trumpeters released this spring and summer have begun taking wing! Several of our young birds have left their release sites and... Read More
Trumpeters 2010
This spring and early summer, biologists released 30 trumpeter swans on five different wetlands in the Blackfoot valley. The first release, on the Blackfoot WPA... Read More
Swans visible from Highway 200
Thank you to all the folks that have turned in swan sightings this summer! The swans have been very visible along Highway 200; you can... Read More
To hold a swan
I have worked on the Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project for two years and with exuberance, have witnessed the joy in numerous people’s faces as they... Read More
Partnerships to Friendships
This past weekend, I had the privilege to tour the Wyoming Wetland Society swan rearing facilities in gorgeous Jackson, Wyoming and to view the pair... Read More
Webcam Swan hatches first Cygnet
Our webcam swan pair have hatched their first cygnet on Monday, May 17th! We anticipate more to hatch in the next few days! Please log... Read More
Swans return to the Blackfoot one month early!
History was made in upper reaches of the Blackfoot Watershed on March 5th, 2010. Arriving nearly a month before “schedule”, a pair of trumpeter swans... Read More
Where have all the swans gone?
Trumpeters to migrate from the Blackfoot soon
PowerPoint overview of the Adopt-a-Swan project
PowerPoint overview of the Adopt-a-Swan project http://blackfootswans.org/SwanProject/Docs/IntroPPTLesson.ppt
Recent Posts
Trumpeter Swans and Montana’s Common Loon Posted in: Blackfoot Blog, Swans
SwanBlog Update: Keep Calm and Paddle On Posted in: Blackfoot Blog, Swans
SwanBlog Update: Blackfoot Trumpeters unaffected by Covid-19! Posted in: Blackfoot Blog- Tracking Swan Movements Posted in: Blackfoot Blog, Swan Project, Swans