It was the end of the work day, and I was slowly making my way home. I decided to check out the marsh for any bird activity, to my surprise two Trumpeter Swans were hanging out in the middle of the marsh. Change of plans when I noticed one of the two swans was looking to fly out, it was bobbing its head. But the other adult was not quite ready yet. Dinner would have to wait, I wanted to see them taking off into the air. They were safe from any danger, the closest I could get was about 70 to 80 meters and no predator was going to go into the water after them.
They are by far the largest waterfowl we get in Banff NP, coming in at 12 kg or more with a wingspan of just over 2 meters. The young swans will eat aquatic insects, but soon their diet is dominated by plants. Like the dabbling ducks, they will feed underwater by submerging their head. When they are paddling their feet in the mud under water to loosen plants, it’s not uncommon to see other waterfowls hanging around them with the hope of picking off any aquatic insects that pop up to the surface.
The two swans explored much of the marsh, did some eating and some resting, nothing for too long. Close to two hours had passed, and they were still deciding what to do. Friends came by with their young daughter to see the swans and when they left to explore the area. The swans started moving toward one end of the marsh, similar to a plane moving to the end of the runway for a take off. Both started bobbing their head and they were off. The sound of energy being used to get their weight into the air could be heard all around. They need about 100 meters to clear the water and then any shrubs and trees that might be in front of them. As soon as they were high enough, they made a 180 degree turn and saw them heading up the valley.
