Date:         Tue, 5 Mar 2002 09:26:43 -0500
Reply-To:     Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sender:       Maryland Birds & Birding <MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From:         Walter Ellison <rossgull@CROSSLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Swan documentation
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

I noticed this comment in the Whooper Swan exchange:

Fred Shaffer wrote:
> Relatedly, when I visited Parker River NWR in Massachusetts in November, I
> was surprised to see Whooper Swans included on the refuge bird list as
> common.

I am very familiar with the history of Whooper Swan in Essex County,
Massachusetts. It was a bit over-the-top for the refuge checklist to call
Whooper Swan "common" but a flock of about 3 to 5 birds has been seen there
for the last five or so years. The swans spend more time in Ipswich, across
the Parker River to the west, than they do on the refuge -  they are usually
at Stage Island Pool when on the refuge. It seems very likely the
Massachusetts swans are not natural vagrants although the source of the
birds has never been traced. The Whooper Swans may have bred at least once
and often consort with local Mute Swans, one even acted as "godparent" to a
brood of Mute Swans. The expert on these Whoopers is Jim Berry. Jim has
written up the early part of the Whooper saga in the New England regional
journal "Bird Observer". Needless to say local and federal game authorities
have tried to discourage the birds from becoming fully established, just
what we need...another Mute Swan. I hope the local sighting is not
indicative of spread by the Massachusetts birds. Relatedly, does anyone know
if Trumpeter Swans *ever* show yellow on the bill? Insofar as I know
Trumpeters always have entirely black bills with red "lips". It seems to me
the relationship of Trumpeter to Whooper is comparable to the
Bewick's/Whistling pair. Just wondering.

Good Birding,

Walter Ellison
MD/DC Atlas Coordinator

Chestertown, MD

=======================================================================
To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com
with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey
=======================================================================
=========================================================================