Oko Nunpa

Monday, Mar 1 to Sunday, Mar 7, 2010: high 67, low 25

Though they are very difficult to see, there are two swans in the photo above. They are directly in line with the top of the tree in the center of the picture. Because they were flying so close together, it is impossible to discern that there are in fact two birds. Instead, they appear as a patch of snow.

Mom and i were visiting in the house on Friday when she excitedly exclaimed, “something big and white just flew by!” So i ran to the window and saw two huge birds flying in close formation up the draw toward the southeast. They were far away and moving fast, so i could not get a better picture than these.

In the picture below the two swans are just above the ridge in the middle ground, a little left of the center of the space between the two post tops. Their wingspan must be around 6 feet. They flew well below the ridge lines, following the draw, probably heading to Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge about seven miles south-southeast of Wingsprings. Trumpeter swans were reintroduced at Lacreek NWR in September 1960, and today, according to the LNWR website, around 400 of them nest in and around the refuge. The closest town to Wingsprings, Martin, is nicknamed the “Home of the Trumpeter Swan.”

Its exciting that the pair flew over Wingpsprings; and amazing that Mom happened to see them.