While out catching sick swans and picking up mortality at the Bob
Heirman Wildlife Park south of Snohomish, I got to see a spectacular
sight -- first 2 adult bald eagles courting, then several raptors looking
for meals and masses of ducks flying by. Then, about 3 p.m. we heard swans,
lots of swans. We sat in the boat on the lake and watched as more than 500
swans, mostly trumpeter with a few tundra flew from the south (likley
Snoqualmie Valley area) and then around the lake and off to adjacent areas.
Some landed on the lake. The voices of so many swans was amazing, like
being in a big tibetan bowl as their chorus echoed off the water. They came
as a wave, loosely covering the sky for several minutes. After the great
mass passed, pairs and singles straggled through for several more minutes.
It was not raining and no wind-- you could see their reflection on the water
as they flew past. Mirror images as they came in to land.
A total treat for Christmas. It certainly was welcome relief to so many
alive and well, considering our task at hand.

Martha Jordan
www.swansociety.org