Today I spotted a funny looking pelican on a pond. Then I looked through my
binoculars and laughed aloud at myself when I realized it was not a
pelican; it was a Trumpeter Swan. Then I got a big grin stuck on my face
when I realized how improbable a Trumpeter Swan is in Yakima in August. I
only got to see it briefly as it was swimming across a small patch of water
in my view. While out of sight I heard it call. Then it flew past me,
trumpeting, heading west, quickly going out of sight again, flying strongly.

I contacted Martha Jordan, who helped me with its identification, and gave
me a great synopsis of what's been learned about two populations of
Trumpeter Swans. I then spent a few hours looking at nearby ponds trying
unsuccessfully to find it again.

If anyone relocates this Trumpeter Swan, I along with Martha Jordan, of the
Northwest Swan Conservation Association, would very much like to be
contacted with your description of the bird and where you found it. I found
it in the Grandview area. I really wonder where it will head. It's quite
smokey to the west....

I put a photo on my Flickr photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58148027 at N07/

I've asked a friend to post this on BirdYak for me.

Good Birding,
Kevin Lucas
Selah, WA

https://www.aba.org/about/ethics.html

Here's Martha's contact information, from a June Tweeters post of hers:

Martha Jordan
Northwest Swan Conservation Association
PMB 272, 914- 164th St SE
Mill Creek, WA 98012
mj.cygnus at gmail.com
office: 425-787-0258
cell: 206-713-3684
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