Subject: [Tweeters] Mute swan in Olympia
Date: Mar 7 12:44:39 2011
From: Guttman,Burt - GuttmanB at evergreen.edu


Kelly, I think you've shown clearly that there are at least two pairs of Mute Swans in the Lacey area. Interesting.
I was assuming one pair that moved around quite a lot. Now that the general subject has come up again, I think I should admit--and maybe apologize for--being too flippant about the issue of these swans moving into the area. I understand now that they may out-compete some of our native swans and they can become a problem. But my aesthetic sensibilities are in conflict with my conservation sensibilities, and the idea of killing a Mute Swan is too terrible to contemplate. Sorry.

Burt Guttman
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA 98505 guttmanb at evergreen.edu <mailto:guttmanb at evergreen.edu>
Home: 7334 Holmes Island Road S. E., Olympia, 98503

________________________________

From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu on behalf of Kelly McAllister
Sent: Sat 3/5/2011 12:42 PM
To: bartlesonfsc at comcast.net; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] Mute swan in Olympia



Well, I don't think Burt is the only one who lay claim to the Mute Swans in
the greater Olympia/Thurston County area. As you may have noticed here on
Tweeters, there have been Mute Swans on a number of local lakes over the
past several months. These include, at least, Long Lake, Pattison Lake,
Hicks Lake, Capitol Lake, and Hewitt Lake. On the Olympia Christmas Bird
Count, I saw two Mute Swans on Hicks Lake, then drove immediately over to
Pattison Lake and found two there. It's possible that the pair from Hicks
Lake flew over to Pattison Lake, beating me there. I was definitely
surprised, thinking the species was relatively uncommon in these parts.

Are the ponds the Mute Swan visited, on Indian Summer, artificial, excavated
ponds, as in water hazards? I'm aware of one rather large natural pond
behind the club house, surrounded by a fringe of oak trees, but I'm
wondering if there are other natural ponds around the golf course.

Kelly McAllister
Olympia

-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Bert
Bartleson
Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2011 11:30 AM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Mute swan in Olympia

Hi Tweets, Yesterday as I was looking out my back window a saw a huge white
swan on one of the ponds near my house. I got the binocks and saw the
orange bill so identified it as a mute swan. I've lived here eight years
and this is the first sighting of this non-native species at my house,
although I saw them in Indiana last summer and in Europe previously. It
stayed for about two hours and then flew over to another nearby pond and
stayed for another couple of hours and then flew off. I guess it was just
exploring since it hasn't returned today. Maybe this is the bird that's
been hanging out at Long Lake [which is a couple of miles from this
location]? I live off the Yelm Highway on the Indian Summer Golf Course in
Olympia. Were you missing your swan yesterday from 10:30 AM until about
3:00 PM yesterday Burt? Bert Bartleson, Olympia

_______________________________________________
Tweeters mailing list
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

_______________________________________________
Tweeters mailing list
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
http://mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters