Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 16:16:25 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Arlene Ripley Subject: need opinions on swan Comments: To: md-smas@yahoogroups.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Last Sunday, while participating in the PAX River CBC, I covered the area of Calvert County known as Cove Point. One of the best natural areas here is located on the property of the Williams Cove Pt. Liquid Natural Gas Plant (regrettably unavailable to the public). There are two reservoirs on the property, the largest of which, Lake Levy, is a good place to find waterfowl. As I was scoping and counting the Ring-necked and Black Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, and Gadwalls, a large, lone white swan flew in and landed on the lake. The two annoying Mute Swans rushed over to check out this newcomer and didn't like what they saw. They chased it to another area of the lake and this harassment continued for most of the time I observed the swans. What struck me about this bird was the size and shape of the bill. It was large, black with pink in the middle and came to a "V" at the forehead. Not being intimately familiar with Trumpeter Swans, I retreated to the car for Sibley. I was convincing myself that I was looking at an immature Trumpeter Swan. I shot some videos and when I got home was able to study the bird more completely. I worried about the fact that the eye was not surrounded by the black extension of the bill. At this point, I decided I must have been seeing an immature Tundra Swan with an atypical bill. I've showed the photos to a few people and am now encouraged that it might be a Trumpter Swan after all. I need opinions please. There is more information on the web page with the photos: . Thanks, Arlene ///////// | || aripley@nestbox.com | 0 || http://www.nestbox.com | || || ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================