Although the first day of spring has technically passed, signs of spring are just beginning to peer their heads here at the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge on the south shore of Lake Superior in Wisconsin. With snow still on the ground, it is hard not to feel like winter will never end. But a glimmer of hope has arrived, the first bird migrators, reminding us that spring is coming again, just as it did last year.
Billions of birds all over the world, about half of all bird species, are beginning their migration to their summer homes. Some travel thousands of miles, for several months, in search of food, mates and a safe place to raise their young. Many birds will just pass-through Whittlesey Creek on their way further north but, for one species this is their final destination- the Trumpeter Swan.
Giants of the Sky
The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator), is North America’s heaviest flying bird and our largest waterfowl species, measuring 6 feet in length and weighing in at over 25 pounds. A bird this size has a lot in common with an airplane and need a large, 100-yard long runway for takeoff where they run hard on the surface to get enough speed to get airborne.
Summer Homes
Trumpeter Swans arrive at Whittlesey Creek and its mouth in Chequamegon bay in early spring, just as conditions are starting to improve and ice is beginning to retreat off the lake. Trumpeters spend their winter in the south-central United States where temperatures are milder, and ice is not covering their habitats. Trumpeters eat a wide variety of vegetation in and around water and need open water to feed in. When they arrive at the Bay in April, its time to start breeding and setting up their nests. Nests spots are usually on a mound, like a beaver lodge, next to the water. Eggs will hatch at about 35 days and chicks can swim at less than a day old. It will be three to four months before they can fly but, in the meantime, the parents will look after the chicks together.
Try spotting the Trumpeters at the mouth of Whittlesey creek or at nearby Fish creek and all over the bay area in shallow spots with lots of aquatic plants!
