Voice of The Trumpeter Swan Society
3800 County Road 24
Maple Plain, Minnesota 55359
Phone 612-476-4663
email: ttss@hennepinparks.org
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Voice of The Trumpeter Swan Society 3800 County Road 24 Maple Plain, Minnesota 55359 Phone 612-476-4663 email: ttss@hennepinparks.org |
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| Vol. IX. No. 2 | May 1999 |
FROM THE PRESIDENT- The 17th Trumpeter Swan Society Conference is just around the corner, and it should be very exciting. Ruth Shea has put together a program that should be both stimulating and productive in setting a direction for swan management in the future, especially as it pertains to winter habitat for all populations of Trumpeters.
The location of the Conference couldn’t be better for a fall vacation in the Rockies or for enjoying the field trips associated with the Conference. Trumpeters should still be on nesting marshes, elk will be bugling, and aspen leaves will be turning to gold. Idaho Falls is only a short drive from many spectacular sites in the Yellowstone Region.
The Conference will be held on September 15 – 18, 1999. An announcement and registration brochure has been included with this issue of Trumpetings. Make your plans to attend now! I look forward to visiting with you there.
The next election of Directors for TTSS will occur at the Meeting of Membership which will be held in conjunction with the 17th Conference. Members who cannot attend may vote by absentee ballot that will be mailed out to all Society members in the summer. Directors are responsible for the basic administration of TTSS, including policies, financial oversight, helping with fundraising, and strategic planning. According to the TTSS bylaws, we may have from 10-15 Directors, with up to four appointed by the Board and the remainder elected by the membership. Any TTSS member may be nominated to serve as a Director. If you might be interested in serving TTSS as a Director, please contact me by July 1st for more information. [Larry Gillette]
UPDATE: INDUCED MIGRATION OF TRUMPETER SWANS - The Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program has made great progress toward reintroducing Trumpeter Swans to their former breeding range in Ontario. However, few released swans have been able to establish themselves on traditional wintering grounds in the U.S. Broods of swans, geese and cranes learn traditional migration routes and the location of safe wintering grounds by following their parents. In a restoration program where cygnets are raised artificially or by captive birds, there are no parents to lead. It is a matter of chance whether they find good winter sites.
Years ago, TTSS member Bill Carrick discovered that captive-raised Canada Geese would follow a fast boat after they learned to fly. He taught Bill Lishman how to train Canada Geese to follow an ultralight aircraft. It is now history that Bill Lishman raised and lead a flock of Canada Geese with an ultralight to Virginia and South Carolina, and that Dr. Bill Sladen, Environmental Studies at Airlie, Virginia, has been able to carry on further experiments with Trumpeter Swans in Virginia, New York and Maryland.
It became clear to us in 1993 that Trumpeters imprinted to their caretakers behaved differently from those raised in isolation where their siblings were the only models upon which they could imprint. Such birds seemed to follow a fast boat more readily than those imprinted to their keepers.
We decided to carry out controlled experiments to find out if the method of raising cygnets made any real difference in their following response. We arranged a program with Professor Thomas Nudds of the University of Guelph, Ontario, using Wayne Bezner-Kerr whom he accepted as a graduate student in 1997 to work on the following response of Trumpeter cygnets.
Cygnets for the 1997 and 1998 studies were provided by cooperators of the Ontario Trumpeter Swan Restoration Group. Wayne and his team worked long hours on accustoming the cygnets to the ultralight machine and to training them to follow it. In 1998, one group of four cygnets which were imprinted on their own parents, were the only ones which followed the aircraft 1,085 km from Falconbridge, Ontario, to Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Indiana.
We are most grateful to the State of Indiana Department of Natural Resources and to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their technical assistance and help with this project. Mike Oliver of Muscatatuck reported that the Trumpeters stayed on the refuge from their arrival on 23 December 1998 to early February 1999 when they left. They were marked with a patch of both black and yellow dye on both sides. One female returned to Ramsey Lake in Falconbridge in early May.
Please report sightings of these marked swans to Harry G. Lumsden, 144 Hillview Rd., Aurora, Ontario L4G 2M5 (905-727-6492) or Wayne Bezner-Kerr, 1 Forest Hill Dr., Apt. 10, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2E1 (705-673-5418) or Mike Oliver, Muscatatuck NWR, 12985 East U.S. Highway 50, Seymour, IN 47274 (812-522-4352).
[Harry G. Lumsden]
1998 INTERIOR POPULATION ESTIMATE – Joe Johnson, Michigan Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project and Chair of the Mississippi Flyway Swan Committee, estimated that 1,920* Trumpeter Swans were alive as of 1 September 1998. This is 96 percent of the goal set in the Interior Population Management Plan of 2,000 swans by the year 2001. Estimates of total numbers of swans per restoration program are as follows:
Ontario (including Kenora District) 209
Michigan 245
Wisconsin 285
Minnesota (Hennepin Parks and MN DNR combined) 600
Iowa 75
Ohio 36
High Plains Flock (South Dakota, Nebraska) 455**
A total of 144 pairs successfully fledged cygnets with a mean brood size of 3.17. This is 80 percent of the Year 2001 goal of 180 successful breeding pairs.
* This figure also includes a minimum of 15 free-flying Trumpeter Swans in the State of New York.
** Winter estimate
OHIO TRUMPETER SWAN UPDATE -This past fall and winter were fairly rigorous for Ohio’s Trumpeter Swans. Since September, seven swans have died, including two of the swans hatched at Magee Marsh, Ottawa County, in 1998. Five of the swans died of unknown causes, one was hit by a car, and another was shot (the shooters were apprehended and prosecuted). The severe winter weather caused most of the swans to migrate for the first time in 2 years. Most of the winter sightings were from southern Ohio although one pair was spotted in southern West Virginia. As of 1 April 1999, we had reports on 24 of the 40 Trumpeters in Ohio. Ohio Trumpeters are banded with green collars with the alpha "M" and two numerals. Sightings should be reported to Dave Sherman at 419-898-0960. [Dave Sherman]
TRUMPETERS IN CALIFORNIA, WINTER 1998/99 - A number of people and groups, including several Audubon chapters, participated in a Trumpeter Swan watch this winter in California. Twenty-two Trumpeters were seen and/ or heard in Northern California from Bishop to the Oregon border. Two of these Trumpeters were neck banded. One of the collared swans with codes 8V0 was reported in a story in the March 1999 issue of Trumpetings. 8V0 was seen by Jim and Debby Parker in Inyo County, California, on 8 January 1999. 8V0 stayed in Inyo County until 27 February 1999. 8V0 was banded, collared and released at Harriman State Park (SP), NE Idaho, on 7 December 1996. Another collared Trumpeter, 93V, was seen by Bruce Webb in western Placer County, about 15 miles north of Sacramento on 22 December 1998. 93V was captured and marked at Harriman SP and released on the Bear River, Preston, Idaho, on 7 November 1996. Prior to the California sighting, 93V was seen in Saskatchewan on 25 October 1997 and at Harriman on 15 December 1998. Other dates and places where Trumpeters were seen are as follows:
11/16/98: one adult Trumpeter at Cosumnes River Preserve, Sacramento County.
12/16/98: one Trumpeter at District 10, 8 miles north of Marysville, Yuba County.
12/19/98: one adult at the Bobelaine Audubon Sanctuary, Sutter County.
12/29/98: two adults with three juveniles in Clair Engle Lake, Trinity County.
1/22/99: three adults on Staten Island, San Joaquin County.
1/24/99: one Trumpeter heard vocalizing in the fog at Cosumnes River Preserve.
3/8/99: eight adults at the Modoc NWR, Moduc County.
More details on these sightings and prior years sighting data is published on the following web page: <http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/trswans.htm>.
[Rod Hug, TTSS member, Santa Rosa, CA
rodhug@aol.com]
REPORT ON RMP AVAILABLE – The TTSS office now has copies of the report Evaluation of Efforts to Redistribute the Rocky Mountain Population of Trumpeter Swans 1986–97 by Ruth E. Shea and Roderick C. Drewien. If you are interested in a copy of this detailed discussion of the effectiveness of 10 years of redistribution efforts, please contact Madeleine at the Society office. Reading the report prior to attending the 17th Conference would be very helpful, but copies will also be available at the Conference.
GREATER YELLOWSTONE TRUMPETER SWAN INITIATIVE- Studies of Trumpeter Swan nesting territories in eastern Idaho’s Targhee National Forest are underway this spring with field assistance from TTSS members Rod Drewien and Mary Maj, and the staff of The Henry’s Fork Foundation. Nesting was delayed by a late, cold spring, but most pairs had begun incubation by Memorial Day. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, U. S. Forest Service and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service are also cooperating in this effort to prevent the further decline of Greater Yellowstone’s nesting swans. [Ruth Shea]
CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION – TTSS recently awarded Certificates of Appreciation to Barbara Allan-Shaw, Harry Hewick, Len Simsen and Martin Wernaart, all of Ontario, for their conscientious care and monitoring of Trumpeter Swans for the Ontario Restoration Program. Also recognized was Michelle Knegt for her dedicated care of Trumpeters at the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre. Additional Certificates were presented to Wayne and Rachel Bezner-Kerr for all their hard work on the ultralight-induced swan migration experiment to Indiana [see earlier article] and to Bill Carrick for his years of support and donation of many Trumpeters. Harry Lumsden, TTSS Director and Coordinator of Trumpeter Swan restoration in Ontario extends his sincere thanks to all.
CAT INDOORS! - The Trumpeter Swan Society is a member of the American Bird Conservancy (ABC)’s Policy Council, an alliance of 75 organizations promoting the conservation of birds. Cat Indoors!, a campaign for safer birds and cats, was initiated by ABC to end the unnecessary suffering and death of birds and other wildlife caused by free-roaming domestic cats. Although domestic cats are not typically a threat to Trumpeters, TTSS members might be interested in checking out ABC’s web page at
http://www.abcbirds.org. Educational materials, including a poster, are available through this web site.
In recognition for her eleven years of service to The Trumpeter Swan Society, Donna Compton was presented a special gift by the TTSS Board of Directors. In the photo above, Donna is holding the elk hide drum handmade by Director Martha Jordan. The frame is red cedar made by a Native American. Eugene Hunt, a well-known Kwakutil artist from Victoria, British Columbia, was commissioned to do the swan painting. Also pictured in the photo are (left to right) Larry Gillette (holding a 21-year-old captive Hennepin Parks swan), Madeleine Linck and Harvey Nelson. The presentation took place out at Lake Rebecca Park Reserve, Hennepin County, Minnesota, where Hennepin Parks maintains a year-round Trumpeter Swan refuge. Donna also received a framed Resolution of Appreciation for her dedication to championing the welfare of Trumpeter Swans throughout North America.
PERSONAL NOTES - The Trumpeter Swan Society has received donations in memory of Mrs. Elizabeth K. Hackler. Mrs. Hackler was the mother of TTSS Director Dave Weaver and a member of TTSS since 1979. Dave’s colleagues at the North American Waterfowl and Wetlands Office (USFWS) made the contribution. Our condolences to Dave and thank you to his co-workers.
A note came from Ron and Helene Mackay who recently moved to be closer to daughter and grandchildren in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. Ron, Canadian Wildlife Service retired, writes that he is not able to get out much to meetings, but wanted to send his regards to "all the old gang" involved in swans.
WANT TO BE A MEMBER? NEED TO RENEW? GIVE A GIFT MEMBERSHIP!
| Affiliate Directory | ||||
| Donna & David
Houchin Arnold, MD |
Dianne and Paul
Anderson Seattle, WA |
Tim and Wendy
Brocklish, Idaho Falls, ID | ||
| Richard A. Brown The Bloedel Reserve Bainbridge Island, WA |
Jack Buzek Coal Valley, IL |
Dr. Tom Garrett Osage Beach, MO | ||
| Wallace Dayton Minneapolis, MN |
Dirk and Evelyn
Hagemeyer Estes Park, CO |
Karen Harris Tulsa, OK | ||
| Hennepin Parks Plymouth, MN |
William A. Quirk
III Anchorage, AK |
Dr. Ronald and Elizabeth
Cordes Rigby, ID | ||
| Iowa DNR Clear Lake, IA |
Allan & Mary
Kollar Quilcene, WA |
Lower Rio Grande Valley Audubon
Society Donna, TX | ||
| Richard W. Perkins Waysata, MN |
Bob Ritchie, ABR
Inc. Fairbanks, AK | |||
| Burton W. Rounds Columbus, MT |
Jim and Sally Shanks Walnut Grove, CA | |||
| Ruth Shea and Rod
Drewein Rigby, ID |
Clara M. Ueland & Walter
McCarthy Long Lake, MN | |||
| Editor's Note: Any persons or organizations paying $100 or more per year for membership will be an Affiliate, excepting life memberships which are paid only once. | ||||
| New Members | ||||
| Caroline S. Brown, DVM Omaha, NE |
Arnold Chambers Medina, WA |
David A. SeylerMineral Point, WI | ||
| Mrs. Billie Coupland Mullen, NE |
Jill Harbart's First Grade
Little Rock, AR |
Jalene LaMontagne Calgary, Alberta | ||
| Elinor Osborne Penfield, NY |
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| WELCOME ALL! | ||||