Huge Gathering of Trumpeter Swans in Monticello MN .MOV

For the last several years I have been taking a 45 minute drive from my home near Minneapolis to see and (hear!) a rare sight of one of the largest collection of wintering Trumpeter Swans in the world. The fact that the viewing public (and photographers!) can be very close to these amazing birds is a true gift.

Seeing these birds (who are the largest water bird in north America) take off and land is practically a miracle. They are 4 feet tall and weigh around 30 lbs. Their wing span is up to 8 feet! And yet they seem to walk on water and then lift off into the air as if gravity didn't pertain to them.

The first swans showed up in the winter of 1986, as the late Sheila Lawrence was feeding the ducks and geese in the yard of her riverside home. They appreciated her hospitality, and every year more came, first by the dozens, then by the hundreds.
Now, more than 2,000 trumpeter swans winter around Monticello, the highest concentration east of the Rocky Mountains. From late November through early March Sheila's husband now feeds them 1,600 to 2,000 pounds of corn.

I tell my friends I am going to photograph the swans and I am sure they have no idea of what I am really talking about. I thought this video of Mr. Lawrence feeding these beautiful birds would give you an inkling of what an extraordinary sight this is.

There is something that takes place being in this "swan energy" for hours at a time (if you can stand the single digit temps!). One begins to see their grace, strength, beauty, poise, and soulfulness. And their voices....they never stop "singing."

Enjoy!

Видео Huge Gathering of Trumpeter Swans in Monticello MN .MOV канала Kristy Walker