Swans at Twilight

Ballet-like, they stretched their long, long necks forward and their long legs backward, as if trained to create graceful images. Their wide, wide spanning white white wings propelled them across their stage.  Backdrop for their dance was the oyster shell sky, tinged orchid by the setting sun's spotlight.  Honking more stridently than cranes or Canada geese, the swans provided their own overture as if to call spectators on the ground to their celestial performance. (By Afton Bitton)

Almost a Swan Song

A sight that can be seen in Swan Valley, but not Yellowstone. 
There were no successful nesting pairs in Yellowstone last year.

The namesake of our valley, the Trumpeter Swan was seldom seen in the first half of the 20th century.  In fact, they were nearly eradicated in the lower 48 states.  In 1920, there were as few as 450 trumpeters left and by 1935 there were only 73 total.  The Canada/United States Migratory Bird Treaty of 1916 didn't protect them because of weak regulations and a lack of agency to police offenses.  They were critically endangered, but a law protecting them wouldn't come until 1938, when State and Territory regulations were tied to the treaty.  Prior to 1938, there was a "No Bag Limit" on swans and you could shoot, trap, net, or snare as many as you wanted.  

Why?  You may think that, like eagles, wolves, or elk, they were a nuisance to farmers and ranchers.  After all, we now see them, sometimes 20 or more eating in wheat and potato fields. Leading experts say their feeding behaviors have made a noticeable change since 2005 and they have recently adapted to eating winter wheat and leftover potatoes from harvesting.  This didn't happen when they were nearly eradicated.  I cannot find in any text that they were historically considered a nuisance, as we often think of other large waterfowl, such as pelicans and geese.  They were here however, as is noted by some of the old timers.  Ralph Traughber remarked, "Our valley is hardly ever without a big, white bird.  It's pelicans in the summer and fall and swans in the winter and spring." (Trumpeter's Dell, pg 66)  

Alexander Rene'

Rather, they were hunted for their feathers and fine tasting meat.  By 1900, dramatic over-hunting had all but wiped out the species.  The Hudson's Bay Company sold 17,671 swan skins between 1853 and 1877, mostly from trumpeter swans.  They are larger than the tundra swans they share habitat with and are not as easily spooked.  Weighing up to 30 pounds, trumpeters are the world’s largest waterfowl and were more lucrative to hunt than the smaller tundra swan.  There was enough meat to feed a large family or have company and the hide could be sold or used to make decorations for clothing, hats, and housewares.  Alexander René, the namesake of Rainey Creek, and a trapper himself, lamented about the first fall he was in Swan Valley.   He wrote, "Mr. Carey, a trapper, invited us to come over and have dinner with them.  He killed a swan.  We went over and the swan tasted very good.  Next year, we and others saw 2 swans and we never saw any after that."


 After 1900, only a few flocks were able to survive, in some of the most remote wetlands in the rocky mountains.  At their most dismal time, in the early 1930's, the Red Rocks Lake (MT) flock was the last remaining group, only totaling 69 birds.  Civilization was responsible for the destruction of critical breeding and nesting areas, leading to dismal birth and survival rates.  

Red Rocks Lake, MT

We paved and shored up and put lawns where wetlands once provided a perfect nursery to raise cignets. Even now, with the recent restoration program (25 years), there are only 2 nesting pairs of trumpeter swans in all of Yellowstone, largely due to human impact on their nesting sites along the edges of pristine lakes and ponds, and predation by other protected species, like the bald eagle.  That's hard to believe, given the healthy flocks we enjoy seeing every day in the winter.  Swan Valley has several locals that have dedicated their time, money, and land to restore the wetland habitat for the swan populations here. 


The Trumpeter Swan Society, the Teton Regional Land Trust, and other organizations have

Biologist pushes a man made nest/raft.

teamed up to restore the trumpeter swan populations in the rocky mountain region.  Outside of Yellowstone, it has been working.  From the Red Rocks flock, eggs have been "grafted" to nesting pairs in other locations in the region, which have then migrated back to Swan Valley and have begun nesting here.  There are now over 11,000 trumpeter swans in the rocky mountain population.  You can report swan sightings at ebird.org.  The link is below.   

The trumpeter swan has not sung it's last song, not yet at least.  They are very vulnerable to unusual seasonal changes in the climate, so they haven't been delisted, but their numbers are beginning to reach a point where some would like to hunt them again.  I think we say the same thing about the non native humans that have moved to Swan Valley.  At this time, the swans are still protected from the fate of the dinner table and, the newcomers from the common sense and grit of the old timers.  The old timers are like the swans of our namesake too, protective, loyal, and observant.  Are we adaptable enough to help save another species, by changing some our own behaviors?  Will our swan song be next?  

eBird.org Report your sightings here

Other resources:

Trumpeter's Dell, Afton Bitton, 2011

http://tetonlandtrust.org/conserve/trumpeter-swan-project/

https://www.idahostatesman.com/outdoors/article216603335.html

http://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/post/trumpeter-swan-numbers-idaho-after-birds-learn-new-survival-skill#stream/0

http://explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-swan.htm