Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 23:14:31 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Jeffrey A. Friedhoffer" Subject: Re: Wilde Lake swans MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit My understanding of the ornamental swans is that one is half trumpeter and half tundra, the other is 3/4 trumpter and 1/4 tundra. Jeff Friedhoffer > We were there between about 1:00 and 3:00 pm today ... we couldn't find > the horned grebe this afternoon, but we did see *two* pied-billed > grebes. > > One of the mute swans is one of a pair that arrived at Wilde Lake last > spring. One of the pair had a broken leg and couldn't walk, and the > other had damaged feet -- the webbing was gone from between two of the > toes on each foot. > > I believe the one that could walk was the male, because I saw him > display in defense several times -- once I watched him display fiercely > at a helicopter flying overhead, which he successfully chased away. ;-) > > The one with the broken leg was eventually caught and taken to the swan > refuge in Airlie, VA, leaving the (male?) without a mate. He hung out > with the ornamental trumpeters, following them around wherever they > went. They simply ignored him. Then last fall another mute showed up on > the lake. It is believed that the newer mute came and went between Wilde > Lake and Centennial lake all winter, spending some time at each. > > Last week the two mutes were on the grass, and one was obviously > the original one with damaged feet that's been there for about a year. > On Sunday three mutes were reported. Yesterday and today there were only > two. One of them consistently hung around the trumpeters, while the > other one did its own thing. It would appear that one is the (male?) > with damaged feet, while the other is probably the one that's been there > on and off all winter. I believe that extra mute on Sunday was probably > a visitor, and is gone now. > > By the way, I've been told by an employee of the Columbia Open Space > division that the swans on Wilde Lake are purebred trumpeters. There > have never been tundra swans on Wilde Lake. The previous pair were > trumplings, a specially bred hybrid. I was told that those were > relocated to Lake Elkhorn a few years ago and replaced with the purebred > trumpeters. > > Sherry > > "Wilkerson, Jordan T." wrote: > > > > MDOsprey, > > > > Quick trip around Wilde Lake in Columbia at before noon. > > > > Highlights include the > > > > HORNED GREBE (still present) > > BALD EAGLE Adult (wandering flight across the lake toward the SSW) > > > > All of the regulars... > > Ring-Neck Ducks > > Ruddy Ducks > > Mallards > > Canvasback Ducks > > Canada Geese > > Tundra Swans (domestic) > > Mute Swans (Does anyone know the status of these Mute Swans?) > > Ring Billed Gulls > > Blue Heron > > Cardinals > > Carolina Chickadees > > Carolina Wrens > > Tufted Titmice > > Song Sparrows > > House Sparrows > > House Finches > > American Robins > > White Breasted Nuthatch > > American Crows > > Mourning Doves > > Blue Jays > > > > ======================================================================= > > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > > ======================================================================= > > ======================================================================= > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================