Friday, February 8, 2019

A Study In Winter Birds

One of the advantages of our staying home in Oregon this winter, instead of traveling to Arizona, is that we get to enjoy some winter birds that we might not see other wise.  This photo was taken yesterday south of Monmouth on Arlie Road at Suver, and shows two different species of swans, a Tumpeter Swan of the left, and a Tundra Swan on the Right. You will need to click on this photo to see an enlarged view and notice the differences in the bill and neck in these two different species.  You can also realize that what appear to be rocks in the foreground are actually Killdeer hunkered down in the fozen grass.  Jeanette counted over 100 Killdeer, 14 Tumpeter Swans and 30 Tundra Swans.
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2 comments:

  1. UnknownFebruary 8, 2019 at 10:36 AM

    So close to us and we didn't know. Thank you for the lesson on swan species. I can hardly tell them apart. Again, beautiful photo.

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  2. The RamblerFebruary 8, 2019 at 3:26 PM

    Dee, one clue that helps in making an identification is to look close at where the bill meets the eye. In the Trumpeter is joins the eye at the same thickness of the eye, in the Tundra the bill narrows to almost nothing before joining the eye.

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