Trumpeter swans on the Adams River in Tsu’tswecw Provincial Park, Shuswap.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Norman Dick
January 05, 2023 - 6:00 AM
A photographer in the Shuswap braved the winter weather to capture photos of Trumpeter swans playing on the Adams River earlier this week.
Sicamous man Norman Dick headed out to the Tsu’tswecw Provincial Park with his camera on Jan. 2.
“It was a nice day, minus 1 degree celsius,” he said. “I have captured a lot of eagles in the area but this was the first time I saw swans. I was excited.”
Dick followed a trail he didn’t normally take, then made his way through the brush to find a spot, and a lot of swans, on the Adams River.
“When I photograph in areas where birds are used to humans they don’t notice me but when the swans saw me their heads all popped up,” Dick said. “I knelt down quietly for ten minutes at a time, inching closer until I lay on my belly on the snow for an hour taking photos and just enjoying watching the birds.”
Trumpeter swans on the Adams River in Tsu’tswecw Provincial Park, Shuswap.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Norman Dick
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Named for their brassy, trumpet-like call, Trumpeter swans are the largest species of native waterfowl in North America, according to Ducks Unlimited Canada.
There are currently around 16,000 of the birds in North America. Some stay in one spot all year round while others migrate for medium to long distances throughout the year.
Trumpeter swan breeding grounds can be found in coastal Alaska, northwestern Canada and the northern United States, according to Ducks Unlimited Canada.
Birds breeding in coastal Alaska and Canada move to ice-free waters in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia for winter.
Adults of both sexes have white feathers and black bills, legs and feet while the younger birds are grey with grey-pink legs, feet and bills.
Trumpeter swans walking on snow beside the Adams River in Tsu’tswecw Provincial Park, Shuswap.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Norman Dick
Trumpeter swan eating grass on the Adams River in Tsu’tswecw Provincial Park, Shuswap.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Norman Dick
Trumpeter swan on the Adams River in Tsu’tswecw Provincial Park, Shuswap.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Norman Dick
Trumpeter swan on the Adams River in Tsu’tswecw Provincial Park, Shuswap.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Norman Dick
Trumpeter swan on the Adams River in Tsu’tswecw Provincial Park, Shuswap.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Norman Dick
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