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Subject:

possible Trumpeter Swans on Potomac (Blockhouse pt)

From:

Andy Martin

Reply-To:

Andy Martin

Date:

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:53:28 -0500

Dave Czaplak contacted me this morning about 10:30 that he had found 3 
or 4 Trumpeter Swans mixed in with some Tundra Swans on the Potomac 
about a mile below Violette's Lock at mile post 21.

I was able to get down there about 12:30 pm. I found 9 swans. There were 
2 groups of 4 birds separated by 60/70 yards and another lone juvenile 
about 150 yds further upstream.

The Trumpeter candidates were all adults and I could not find any yellow 
on their bills.  All four  had  a rusty /yellowish  color on head as 
pictured on  page 60 of the  small Sibley Guide.

The other group of 4 contained two adult swans and two juveniles. I 
could clearly see a yellow spot on the lores of the two adults and no 
rusty color on heads. Two of the 4 birds were grayish juveniles with all 
black bills.  These 4 birds appeared to be smaller than the possible 
Trumpeters.

I could not really get a good look (because of some rocks) at the lone 
bird further upstream but it looked like a juvenile.

Hopefully, Dave will be posting soon on what he saw. I do not have a lot 
of experience separating these two species and know what thorough 
documentation was presented on MDOsprey for the two Edgewood birds.

Andy Martin
Gaithersburg