Saw this collared Swan off of the Lillooet Lake Bridge near Pemberton, BC.
I reported it to the Trumpeter Swan Society Swan Watch page.
When I first saw it off in the distance I thought it had gotten trapped in some garbage, but when I pulled out Big Bertha for some telephoto shots, I realized it was a tag. I searched online and learned that swans sometimes get such neck bands so that reseearchers can identify them from afar.
UPDATE:
Cool! I got a response from the swan society, and this is a bird that was injured or ill, rehabilitated, and released.
Thanks so much for your trumpeter watch report of swan K53. As it is a gray swan, that means it hatched last summer.
The yellow collar indicates it is a swan that must have been injured or sick and was rescued by the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife sometime this last fall/winter after arrival in WA where it was spending the winter and was taken to the Whatcom Humane Society for rehab. It would have been released sometime this late winter- WDFW usually releases the rehabbed swans in February or so. I really appreciate your report- I’ll make sure WDFW knows of your sighting.
Wow, this overnighter produced the fewest photos I’ve ever taken on a Sea to Sky trip!
Rain, rain , rain. . .
I camped at Nairn Falls for one night, got the tent up and covered with addtional tarp protection before the rain began. Was snug and dry inside, and fortunately there was a break in the rain for takedown in the morning.
Even had an hour or two of a small campfire in the evening. Park staff were very diligent about warning folks about keeping their fires small, never leaving them unattended, and having a bucket of water handy. I suspect bans will be coming into place soon, it’s dry out there.
Talking with the camground staff and locals, everyone is happy with the soaking today. It’s badly needed.
We went on a whale watching tour today for the first time. Spotted a few Orcas, but they stayed low in the water, so this is about the best shot I got.
T049A1 Noah (2001)
I think the folks on the ferry got a better view than we did! 🙂
Sunrise at Alice Lake near Squamish, BC, this morning. I was up at 6:30, and wandered over to the lake from the campground. I realized that the sun would peek over the mountains to the east if I sat on the beach for awhile, and soon there it was.
Lovely to greet the morning in peaceful silence, without another soul in sight.
Eventually there was some noise as this raspy Steller’s Jay checked me out as I was watching the sunrise.
