Subject: [Tweeters] RE:RFI: Mute Swans on State List
Date: Oct 24 16:19:40 2011
From: Martha Jordan - swanlady at drizzle.com


This is simply an FYI: near the border around the Sumas-Lynden area there
have been releases of mute swans in the past several years. These were not
B.C. birds but from the private US side. None of these were legal, and at
this time I believe all have been removed from the "wild". The mute swans
in the Olympia area are absolutely the result of illegal release. These are
being captured as opportunity happens. Last year the reports of mute swans
free flying were down from the previous year. The one mute swan sighting
this past winter that may likely be a B.C. origin was out on the Olympic
Peninsula in a remote area. Occasionally a mute may be seen with the flocks
in the Skagit. These may or may not be from B.C. because of the releases
that happened to the north during this period. Several of us are tracking
mute swan sightings and known releases in Washington State.

We do want mute swan reports, including those observed in captivity.
Martha Jordan
Martha at trumpeterswansociety.org