MD Osprey:

Enjoy the swan at Black Hill Regional Park. Please document it, photos are 
desirable. Any documentation will be added to our files on this species, 
but will probably not be reviewed for a while. This message explains why.

Notes and thoughts ...

1. Trumpeter Swan was added to the Official List of the Birds of Maryland 
in 1998, based on research by Harvey Mudd.  Here is an excerpt from the 
1998 MD/DC Records Committee minutes ...

"Harvey Mudd presented the results of his research that provides 
descriptive evidence of Trumpeter Swans in Maryland in historical times. A 
1835 account describes the presence of Trumpeter Swans on the Potomac River 
"at the mouth of the Occoquan River ... and for some 30-40 miles below". 
The committee voted "by proclamation" to add Trumpeter Swan to the Official 
List of the Birds of Maryland as AN EXTIRPATED SPECIES [emphasis added]."

2. Trumpeter Swans have been reported wintering in Maryland since the 
winter of 1983-84. Here is an excerpt from "The Season" report in Maryland 
Birdlife 40(2), June 1984 by Mr. Robert F. Ringler ...

"Two Trumpeter Swans that had been raised in a Mute Swan nest in Cranberry 
Marsh east of Toronto, Ontario spent the winter in St. Michaels. They had 
hatched from eggs that had been placed under the Mute Swans by the Ontario 
Ministry of Natural Resources."

3. Trumpeter Swan Reintroduction Program. Here is another quote from the 
1998 MD/DCRC Annual Meeting minutes ...

"The committee will soon tackle the problem of recent Trumpeter Swan 
observations in Maryland. There have also been hundreds of reintroduced 
swans into the northern Midwest and northeastern states over the past years 
and none of the populations are currently self-sustaining. Mary Gustafson 
commented that currently there is about a 25% band loss on reintroduced 
Trumpeters Swans over a 3-4 year period. Some birds are also reportedly 
being introduced without bands. This is a preview of some of the issues the 
committee will have to contend with in the near future."

4. Identification. In addition to the fact that some Tundra Swans can have 
no yellow on the bill, field observers need to also be aware of and 
eliminate hybrids, especially the infamous, "Trumpling" (Tundra [aka 
Whistling] X Trumpeter) Swan, that was pioneered by Bill Sladen the 
Smithsonian Environmental Center at Arlie, VA. Some of these critters were 
placed and used to live on the lakes at Columbia, MD.

5. Eastern US records committees are all grappling with the challenge of 
how to possibly (if at all), determine a true "vagrant" western Trumpeter 
Swan from a reintroducted bird from Ontario, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, 
Ohio, or wherever. At some point, these reintroduced birds could possibly 
be determined to be established, but most records committee don't think we 
are there yet.

6. Miscellaneous References.

Here is a interesting written summary (written from a UK perspective) of 
the current status of the reintroduction programs vs. eastern records ...

         http://www.surfbirds.com/mb/Features/trumpeter.html

Here is a range map of the current Trumpter Swan situation ...

         http://www.defenders.org/trmpe.html

Here are a few (of many links) on the reintroduction programs ...

         http://www.defenders.org/trmpgal.html

         http://www.wyemarsh.com/swan_reintro.html

         http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/resources/projects/swans.htm

Good luck, good birding ...

Phil


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Phil Davis, Secretary
MD/DC Records Committee
2549 Vale Court
Davidsonville, Maryland  21035     USA
301-261-0184
mailto:[log in to unmask]

MD/DCRC Web site:  http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html
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