We didn't get down to the valley for the Trumpeter Swan release, but I slipped down there yesterday to check on them. The five young swans were happily bobbing around on the mill pond with a few wood ducks floating among them. They seemed very much at home on the icy pond. It was, for lack of a better word, an awesome minute or two as I sat there on the side of the road with the window rolled down feeling the cold wind and listening to the happy chatter of the swans and ducks. The snow clouds hung heavily over the top of the mountains as small snow pellets filled the air. It was one of those times I have always called a "memory moment"--something I can pull up in my head at future times for a little sweet memory.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in conjunction with Iowa Department of Natural Resources, along with all of us hope this is release is successful. They also released 13 in the Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge near Dardanelle. They admit it is a new idea called "reverse imprinting". And, it is hoped that the swans will find their way back north in early spring to spend their summer with other Trumpeters before flying south to winter again in this area.
Some information on Trumpeter Swans: Adults weigh about 35 pounds with wingspans of 8 feet--America's largest waterfowl. They nearly disappeared in the early 1900's due to over hunting and loss of habitat. There are now about 250, including 30 nesting pairs. Arkansas is to be commended for working to restore this elegant bird, I think. I also believe we are obligated to protect and save vanishing habitat for this species along with other wildlife including elk, eagles, and quail, and other creatures that are dependent on us for survival.
"He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains...The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches." Ps. 104:10,12
