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 which species I’m observing. While […]
Swans in the Ruby Valley
By Elaine Caton, Swan Restoration Program Coordinator On January 19, I made my annual trip to the Ruby River Valley in southwest Montana to look for wintering Blackfoot swans. I […]
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 swans seem to have fared […]
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 returned to the watershed this […]
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 trumpeters banded and released in […]
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 efforts began. That trend of […]
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 in both known sites and […]
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). When they were less than […]
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 female from the wild) are […]
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, we’ve documented the return of […]