Tagged Swan Near Pemberton, BC

Saw this collared Swan off of the Lillooet Lake Bridge near Pemberton, BC.

Tagged Swan K53 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.