Spring Swan Song

Photo by Andrew Stark
(click on photo for larger view)It’s the time of the year when the trumpeter swans return to McClintock Bay, and this year there have been a record number of them. Each spring, migrating trumpeter and tundra swans and other waterfowl gather together there in the open water, waiting for the smaller lakes of their nesting grounds to open up. It’s an attractive place to wait things out because not only is it the first open water around, but there are good pickings, food-wise, and not much to disturb the peace except the noisy commotion of the swans themselves.

Right now, today, there were 2009 pausing trumpeters in the bay. When it’s all said and done, fifteen percent (or more) of the world’s trumpeters will have passed through. Believe me, that makes for a bit of a racket. Check out this recording of a few swans honking, multiply it by about 200 and you’ll get the idea.

Yep, very loud, and not just loud, but big and loud. Trumpeters are the largest of the world’s waterfowl, commonly weighing over 12 kilograms. That’s 25 pounds, for those who are metrically challenged.

The easiest way to tell the difference between trumpeter and tundra swans is in their bills. Most tundra swans have a yellow spot on the upper edge of the bill, while the trumpeter’s bill is all black. Here’s a handy-dandy guide that pictures the difference for you.

And yes, I was saving the best part for last: the web-cam at Swan Haven on McClintock Bay. Click on the link to see the real live migrating swans in the Yukon for yourself. If you play the swan call recording at the same time, it’ll be just like you are here, and without the cost of the plane tickets.

Shortest Day Complexities

Today is the day of the winter solstice, which means its the day when the maximum height of the sun in the sky is at its lowest point of the year. It also means that today is the shortest day of the year. What it doesn’t mean is that today has the earliest sunset and the latest sunrise.

Nope, our winter sun is a lot more complicated than you might think. If you live on the 40th parallel, your day of earliest sunset was around December 8 and your day of latest sunrise will be around January 5. Since I live much farther north than 40˚, the date of the earliest sunset and the date of the latest sunrise are both closer to December 21, but neither falls on that date. You can read the explanation for this sun phenomenon here.

So it’ll continue to be darker a little later in the morning for me, and for you, too, if you live in the northern hemisphere. Still, I’m really excited about the 7 seconds more daylight I’ll have tomorrow.

This Is Why I've Been Complaining

about all the shoveling I’ve been doing this year. The hardest part is lifting the snow up and throwing it over these 5’+ snowbanks.