Winter Vacation – Juried BOMH Artist – Sandy Brooks

Posted on by Kim Carr

Winter Vacation
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SBROOKS’ CRITTERS ‘N’ KIDS

Winter Vacation
in the Midwest

Forget Snow Birds Going to Florida,
We Have Swans in Missouri
Trumpeter Swans by the hundreds spend their winter migration on the Mississippi River and surrounding shallow waters near St Louis. While not listed on the Audubon maps of migration for the swans, they are regular visitors to the Audubon Center at Riverlands from late November through early March.
In the early 1900s the Trumpeter Swan was almost extinct but conservation efforts have preserved the species.This elegant bird is the largest water fowl in North America. As such, they need a running start to take flight.
But once airborne, they are graceful flyers. They fly in close formation over long distances. They are primarily found along the West coast of Northern Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. They are also reappearing along the Northern tier of states from Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin to Michigan and Ohio. The Southern migration along the Mississippi River to the Riverlands in West Alton provides a winter vacation of sorts as a major Southern migration station for the trumpeters as hundreds are found in this area from December through March.
As seen in the take offs and landings above, the swans need plenty of space. The trumpeters prefer wide shallow water such as lakes, slow flowing rivers, bays and ponds with lots of vegetation. Except for the first couple weeks after birth when the cygnets eat small insects or invertebrates, swans are vegetarians. They feast on the plants in shallow pools in the evenings and early mornings moving onto vegetation in fields during the winter days. The Riverlands Migratory Bird Center hosts more than 500 swans each season. More information can be found on the Audubon site or at the Audubon Center at the Riverlands in West Alton Missouri. Better yet, visit the Riverlands and experience these beautiful beings early in the morning or late in the afternoon for yourself.
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St Louis, MO 63131

 

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