Trumpeter Swan Observations
Lauri Hanauska-Brown,
Idaho Department of Fish and Game
The Department
of Idaho Fish and Game is looking for collared trumpeter swans again this year.
The swans of most interest have yellow collars with black lettering or green
collars with white lettering. All collared swans, however, are important to
record. Please contact me at lhanausk@idfg.idaho.gov
to report collar observations and/or congregations of wintering birds in places
that seem 'out of the ordinary'. If you are interested in volunteering for this
project, please contact me at 208-390-1512.
PROJECT
SUMMARY
Trumpeter Swan
Translocations and Observations
Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Upper Snake Region
Winter translocation efforts to address
trumpeter swan over-crowding in the Island Park area of Idaho began in 1990.
The goal of dispersing the wintering population and establishing secure use of
other parts of southeastern Idaho was to reduce population impacts on habitat.
There was concern over die-offs in Island Park because of disease or
starvation. Dispersal to more southerly wintering areas could also increase
early spring food resources for the resident segment of the southern Idaho
nesting population. Winter translocation efforts up to this time, however, have
not adequately achieved the goal of dispersing the population to new wintering
grounds. Trapping and translocating cygnets without accompanying adults from
traditional wintering grounds had not been attempted. The winter of 2001-2002
was the first year that a multi-agency group captured and translocated cygnets
from Harriman State Park (HSP). A control group of marked cygnets was released
at HSP and all other captured cygnets were translocated to the Bear River and
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Release sites were deemed suitable
and translocating cygnets without adults proved feasible, as most translocated
cygnets remained at the sites throughout much of the winter showing no obvious
signs of starvation or disease. Translocation continued until the winter of
2004-2005. The winter of 2005-2006 begins efforts to track and observe
returning collared swans.
Editors note
Our chances of seeing a collared Trumpeter Swan in North Idaho are
pretty slim.
Our most common swan in North Idaho is the
Tundra Swan. However, Trumpeters often
mix with flocks of Tundra Swan throughout their migration and winter
range. One or two Trumpeter are
reported from North Idaho every year by birders who take the time to study the
swans they find on their outings.
Trumpeter and Tundra are very similar and extra care must be taken in
identifying the Trumpeter, keeping in mind
that they are very rare in our area.
DISTINGUISHING TUNDRA AND
TRUMPETER SWAN
Shirley Sturts
FIELD MARKS:
Size and Shape: The Tundra is smaller, 53 inches compared to the 65 inches of the
Trumpeter. The Trumpeter has a longer neck in proportion to its body length. This is noticeable when standing or swimming
but not reliable in flight. In general
the body posture of the Trumpeter is 
angular and the
Tundra posture is curved or
rounded. Trumpeters often have their
necks kinked back at the base so that it appears to rise from the forepart of
the back, forming an angular "C" shape.
Body and Bill:
They
both have all white bodies and black bills.
The Tundra has a more rounded head, 
shorter bill
profile and a yellow spot at the base of the bill. Just to make the birder's life more difficult (I'm sure that is
the reason), some Tundra Swan lack the yellow spot. If the yellow spot is there, no problem, we've made our
identification. If it is not, we can
look for the salmon-pink mandible edges on the closed bill of the trumpeter
which is usually visible according the field guides. There is a problem with using the salmon-pink mandible edge field
mark. Like the yellow spot, it is not always visible and even if it is, chances are you will not
be close enough to see it. Possibly
one of the best distinguishing marks is the shape, size and amount of black on
the bill. The Tundra has the more
rounded and shorter bill profile with the eye standing out distinctly from the bill. The bill profile of the Trumpeter is long and flat, much like a
Canvasback. The black of the Trumpeter
bill is broad where it makes contact with the eye, making eye seem more
connected to the bill.
Juvenile Swans: Juvenile swans
have a gray body coloration and their bills are black at the tip and base with
pink in the middle. Trumpeters are
usually a much darker sooty gray,
especially on the head and neck. This
plumage remains throughout the winter.
In contrast, the plumage of the Tundra juvenile is a lighter silvery
gray which begins to turn white in late December.
VOICE:
This is best way to distinguish the Trumpeter from the Tundra. Unfortunately, they seem to always remain
silent when I have encountered them in the field. In migration the Tundra makes a series of mellow, high-pitched
notes: oo-oo-oo accentuated in the middle or who-ho, woo-oo-woo,or who-who. The
Trumpeter has trumpetlike notes on 1 pitch: koo-hoh. If you have access to bird call tapes, I would en-courage you to listen to their different and distinct
calls.
Behavior: Trumpeters are often found mixed in with
Tundra but are usually not entirely intermingled. If you see a flock of swan, and one or more appear to be
separated from the others, it is a good
idea to put all the above identification tools into practice. Trumpeters may be the last birds in a mixed
flock to take off. They often stay one
or more minutes longer than the Tundra Swan.
If a flock of swans takes flight, watch their necks. Just as the Trumpeter Swan lifts into the
air it will pull its neck briefly into an "S" curve during the first
wing beats of its flight, and then straighten out its neck as a Tundra
does. The Tundra Swan keeps its neck
straight for the entire takeoff and initial wing beats.
Trumpeters do what is called head bobbing - frequently bob their heads
and necks up and down. A variety
of vocalization will accompany this
head bobbing. This activity apparently
serves as a form of communication between individuals and within the
flock. Unless suddenly startled into
flight, Tundra will do this head bobbing activity, increasing its intensity
just prior to taking flight.
Bird Tracks
Audubon Members Make a Difference
GREEN TIPS
Green tips will be a monthly feature in
our newsletter. It is designed to give
you ideas for taking personal conservation
action to improve the environmental health and habitat quality of our yards and
neighborhoods. (Members are
encouraged to send tips to the editor for inclusion in future
newsletters.)
CORRECTION
In the September issue Green Tips gave a
wrong phone number for the Habitat for Humanity Discount Building Supply Center
located at 176 W. Wyoming. The correct
phone number is 762-4352. They also Also we take
aluminum cans and cardboard. Both are recycled as a fund-raising
activity.
FOR
COFFEE LOVERS
Part Two
Feedback From Readers
From Lisa Hardy
When I was in Puerto Rico last year, I visited a coffee
"finca" where coffee was grown in patches on fairly steep hillsides.
Some of the patches were a bit shaded, and the grower said that the coffee
grown with some shade was of a better flavor and grade. "Sun" coffee
produces larger yields at least in the short-term, but of inferior quality.
Another note is on the importance of natural forest to provide insect
pollinators for coffee and other crops. "Last year, a study in Costa Rica
found that on one farm alone the natural pollination of coffee by insects was
worth $60,000. Coffee yields were 20% higher on plots that lay within a
kilometer of natural forest." (The Economist, April 23rd 2005).
Other stores that have organic
and/or shade grown coffee
Safeway:
1) Seattle's Best (ground),
four varieties labled organic and Fair Trade.
2) Seattle's Best (Bulk
beans), three varieties labled organic
3) Millstone (bulk beans),
three varieties labled organic.
Super 1 has shade grown coffee, Lowry's brand.
dishwasher
detergents
Lisa Hardy
Most dishwasher detergents contain phosphates, and are a significant
contributor to the total phosphate discharged into our area's lakes and rivers.
Excess phosphate causes algal blooms and depletes the oxygen in water needed by
fish and other aquatic organisms. Phosphate is in the news these days with the
recent proposal to ban phosphate-containing automatic dishwasher detergents in
Spokane County. You can eliminate this source of phosphate now by choosing
phosphate-free dishwashing detergents. There are at least two such brands
available in our area, made by Seventh Generation and Ecover. These products
can be found at the Flour Mill in Hayden, and Pilgrim's or Fred Meyer's in
Coeur d'Alene. Check out http://www.crwp.net/Issues/phosphorus.htm for
more information, including a home recipe for phosphate-free dishwasher
detergent. Let me know how these products work for you, and if you find other
sources for them.
2005-YARD LIST CHALLENGE
How is your yard-list coming along this year? You have one more month to
whip it into shape. On January 1, tally up your species and submit to:
Lisa Hardy
2153B Old River Road
Kingston, Idaho 83839
email: basalt@earthlink.net
You will need to submit a list of species and information about your
location. Note whether you are in city limits, urban, suburban or rural,
whether you have a water view, type of vegetation and cover available, feeders
provided etc. Remember, your list
should include all birds seen or heard from
your yard, so you can include, for example, the geese that flew over at 3000’,
or the owl you heard one night in the neighbor’s yard. What was your favorite bird? Share any interesting bird behavior you
noted while observing birds in your yard.
ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY PROJECT
Saturday, October 22
Judy Waring
The
morning began cold and foggy, but fueled with sugar-laden donuts eight
Auduboners headed to our two mile stretch of Highway 95 to pick up
litter. And it needed it! We went from 11 bags full of trash during
the spring clean-up to 19 bags , and from under two hours on the job to almost
four hours. This is not too surprising since, with the summer season, and
open car windows, more litter can be expected. That, and the increasing
population in Kootenai County, with a resultant increase in traffic. all
contribute to the problem.
We
love our "grabbers", generously lent to us by Sherry and Larry
Mundt, saving us from spending the morning in a bent over position but we were
at it long enough to get some lulus of blisters. So we will be looking for
more hardy souls next spring to lend a hand. Look for the date and time
in the April newsletter.
BIRD TRACKS
"If I were to make a study of the
tracks of animals and represent them by plates, I should conclude with the
tracks of man"
Henry David Thoreau
BIRD QUOTE CORNER
"The
day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight."
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow "Day is Done" --
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\
4th in a series of articles about lawn care
(Next
month, pesticides are designed to kill.)
The Beautiful Lawn
Judy Waring,
Janet Callen with assistance from Lisa Hardy
Dandelions, fairy-rings,
moss and insects are some of our area’s lawn problems. The gardening sections of local hardware
stores carry an impressive arsenal of chemical weapons with which to attack.
Some weeds are annuals and grow from seed set in the area the previous
year, or blown in. These include
chickweed, annual bluegrass, annual sowthistle, common purslane, common mallow
and shotweed. Perennial weeds propagate
by various means, including seeds and runners. Examples of perennial weeds are
morning glory, buttercup, clover, horsetail, dandelion and plantain. Dandelions, bindweed (looks like white or
pink morning glory), Canadian thistle, and black medic (sometimes called yellow
clover) are part of the group called
Broad-leaf Weeds.
Dandelions are the number one enemy weed of most homeowners. Dandelions are an indicator of a soil pH
greater than 7.5 and since grass is happier at 6.5, lower the pH.
If a lawn does not have many dandelions hand
dig them, a method which works best when the soil is damp. Fill the resulting
holes in with a mixture of compost and grass seed. Or, try spot spraying with white vinegar.
Black medic is a sign of low nitrogen soil. This stuff is sometimes
called "yellow clover". When it's taking over, it will choke out
grass and make flat mats about a foot in diameter. White or pink clover is also
a sign of low nitrogen soil when it grows in abundance. This type of clover is not considered one of
the bad guys. It contributes nitrogen
to the soil and doesn't compete with grass.
Two very difficult weeds to get rid of are bindweed and Canadian
thistle. . They are resistant to many chemicals. However, they don't like tall grass or mowing and repeated
digging will weaken them to the point that bugs and bacteria can take over.
There are also some Weedy Grasses which can find their way into your
lawn.
Quackgrass (Agropyron repens) is probably the nastiest of them
all. It is a perennial grass, 1-2 feet
tall with hollow stems, wheat-like spikes and bluish-green blades that are
rough on the upper surface. It spreads rapidly by coarse, long, pointed, white
underground stems called rhizomes and is very difficult to eradicate. Seeds can
survive in soil up to 4 years, although most germinate in spring within 2
years. Hand digging is not
recommended because every root piece left behind will generate new plants. Black plastic is not totally effective. CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS: An herbicide with glyphosate in it will kill
actively growing quackgrass. A
pre-emergent weed killer (Casoron) can be applied in flower beds early in the
spring.
Crabgrass (Digitaria
sang-uinalis) is a pale green annual.
Blades are short (2-5 inches
long, 1/3 inch wide), slightly hairy and tapered to a point. Seed heads take on a purplish color. It also spreads by rooting at the lower stem
joints. It grows rapidly through the
summer, forming broad, dense, flat clumps that smother turf. It sprouts from seed in the early spring and
hard frost kills it in the fall. The
best prevention is to try to stop it from sprouting. This grass likes hot, dry
weather. CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS: Apply a
crabgrass pre-emergent weed killer (Pendamethalin, Dacthal, or Bensulide) in
early spring before the seeds germinate, (February through April) before daily
temperatures are in the 80’s.
Bentgrass, (Agrostis species) the grass of choice for some
putting greens will become a weed in a bluegrass lawn. Normally it is cut very short, ¼ to ½ inch,
and if not becomes a matted, straggly patch.
It is very invasive and will crowd out other grasses. However, because of its shallow root system it
will not survive in dry soils. CHEMICAL
SOLUTIONS: Apply a non-selective
herbicide glyphosate (Roundup, Kleenup or Knockout.)
Annual Bluegrass (Poa annual) is low growing, light, apple green with hundreds of whitish-green seed heads at
any mowing height. Blades are weak and
terminate with a boat-shaped tip. They
are short, narrow and smooth. Annual
bluegrass may persist as a perennial if winters are mild. It germinates in the fall and grows
vigorously through mild winters and early springs. It likes moist, rich, compacted soils. Aerate compacted soils
and water deeply and infrequently.
CHEMICAL
SOLUTIONS: Treat with a pre-emergent herbicide such
as Dacthal or bensulide in early to mid-fall.
Treat again in mid-March to mid-April.
CORN GLUTEN MEAL is
an Organic product which acts as a
pre-emergent weed killer. It is
considered effective against the above named culprits; annual bluegrass,
crabgrass, black medic, clover and dandelion.
It will also help control a number of other weeds. It will not harm beneficial insects, soil
organisms or pond or stream life. We
have located the following corn gluten meal products.
1) Orland’s Safe-T-Weed Corn
Gluten Herbicide (A fertilizer also
with Nitrogen (N) equivalent to 10-0-0.
Found at: Cenex-Cooperative Supply, Inc. 5831 N. Gov't Way in Dalton Gardens:
2) Uncle Malcolm’s Weed Whompin’ Mulch (for flower and shrub beds)
Found at: Northland Nursery
8092 W. Prairie Ave., Post
Falls
3) Concern Weed Prevention Plus
(in a pellet form & contains
nitrogen) Found at: Petal Pushers
Nursery & Garden Center, 1842 N Government Way, Coeur d Alene
4) WOW Plus Pre-Emergence Weed
Control and Fertilizer
Found at: -so far found only on-line by doing a Google search.
MOSS: Lawn moss causes thinning of desirable
grasses. It generally develops in neglected
lawns under conditions of continuous shade, wetness, soil acidity or
compaction. Long-term control of moss
can be achieved only if these cultural conditions are corrected, allowing
development of dense turf. Dethatching, followed by nitrogen fertilization
is an effective non-chemical approach toward eliminating moss. CHEMICAL
SOLUTION: De-Moss, a cryptocidal
soap, or soluble iron compounds such as ferrous sulfate, ferric sulfate and
ferrous ammonium sulfate.
INSECTS: According to Dorothy Kienke at the
University of Idaho Extension Service, lawns in our area rarely, or never,
have a serious insect problem. At least not serious enough to apply
insecticides. Your lawn might have the following pests:
Grubs are the larvae of certain species of beetles. Grubs like
to eat grass roots and if you dig up a dead patch of grass you just might see a
bunch of grubs munching away. Birds love grubs and act as a natural grub
control, so it follows that any type of toxic chemical which kills grubs will
probably kill the birds. If you
think you have a serious enough grub problem to warrant an attack, the answer
is a microbial pesticide. The most
commonly used microbial pesticides in the U.S. are strains of Bacillus
thuringiensis, or BT. BT is a bacteria that will kill the grub but if any
other bug or animal eats the BT or the dead larvae, they will experience no ill
effect. Another commonly used microbial pesticide is milky spore disease, which
is comprised of Bacillus papillae and Bacillus lentimorbus.
European Crane Fly is an established pest in western
Washington, taking up residence in lawns and pastures. It has very long legs and looks like a large
mosquito with a body about one inch long, not including the legs. Homeowners become alarmed when thousands of
these large flies gather on the sides of homes. They do not bite or sting and do no damage to houses. It is their larvae that do damage to lawns,
chewing away at the roots. Lawn feeding birds are the natural enemy, and
there are beneficial nematodes available that effectively reduce larval
populations. Scientists have observed that good fertilizer programs have
masked the effects of Crane Fly feeding and aeration in the spring may help
reduce populations mechanically.
Although Audubon at Home recommends a visit to the EPA website
for detailed information about microbial pesticides, we found it not an easy
site to use. Two products, Grub Guard, which contains nematodes and
Milky Spore, which contains Bacillus
papillae, were located in the Gardener’s supply catalogue at www.gardeners.com. Our best advice, believe Dorothy Koneke and
leave the grub problems to the birds.
And never use chemicals. FAIRY RINGS AND OTHER THINGS: Dark green grass, filled with mushrooms,
that continually expands outward leaving a patch of dead grass. One can choose to fight them, or leave them
alone. Left alone they will eventually
work their way out of the lawn and disappear.
Necrotic ring spot is a fungal disease that shows up as spreading brown
patches in bluegrass lawns across the regions.
It most often appears in sodded lawns.
It is very difficult to totally eliminate once it is established. If one chooses to do battle with these
diseases contact your local extension office. Ants and Earwigs do not
attack lawns, but they are often an insect problem. An excellent organic product is Diatomaceous Earth. One brand is Concern made by Necessary
Organics. No local retail outlet has
been yet been located, however Petal Pushers will order the product.
Top of Page
CRANBERRY TRIP
Dick Cripe
Never have so many done so much for
so little! How much does a pound of cranberries cost, anyway? Well,
maybe that is the wrong attitude. Fourteen
people arrived at the boat launch at Killarny Lake on a windy October 16th,
looked across the rough, white-capped lake, and unanimously concluded:
"We're not taking a canoe out on that!" So we retired to the
Rose Lake Cafe for a warm breakfast and hearty conversation.
The following Thursday, October
20, a smaller group of six - Lynn Sheridan, Brian Taylor, Judy Waring, Janet
Callen, her daughter Leslie, and Dick Cripe - assembled and set out in two
canoes and two kayaks The weather was cool, but not cold, overcast, but
not windy. We made our way across the lake and into the canal. We
were able to proceed about two-thirds of the way up the canal before it became
impassable for either kayak or canoe. So, we back-tracked (fortunately no
one got really stuck), parked our canoes along the dike, and walked the rest of
the way. The walk was about a mile over and under windfalls along a very
unim-proved trail. The last 20 yards involved sliding down the bank and
crossing a muddy bog walking on poles that had been laid down to create a trail.
We wore a variety of footware, but it didn't make much difference - everyone
stepped into the mud over their boots at least once. Nevertheless, we all
made it to the cranberry patch with no more damage than wet, muddy feet.
The cranberry patch was loaded with berries and we quickly got to work
picking. Within two hours we each had a gallon or more, all that we could
safely carry back. We made our way back across the bog and the trail
without dropping and dumping our treasures. As we paddled back across the lake
we congratulated ourselves on our successful adventure and exchanged ideas
about what to do with the cranberries.
We'll plan to take this trip again next year, but we will be clear about
how to get there. The primary requirement is some physical flexibility
and a sense of humor.
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observaton
Post
Temminck's
Stint: 1 European bird that has
been at the Ocean Shores (WA) sewage
treatment plant for a week or more in November. This is the first one seen in the lower 48 states and it has
attracted more than 600 serious bird listers from as far away as Florida. According to the Inland-nw-birders
listserve it was last seen on November
14th.
Common Loon: 12+ Wolf Lodge and
Beauty Bay, Coeur d'Alene Lake, Nov. 2, Lisa Hardy and Kris Buchler
Eared Grebe 2 Hayden Lake,
November 2, Lisa Hardy
(our #197th bird for
the Kootenai County Big Year)
Horned Grebe 1 Page, Nov. 14, Lisa
Hardy (#153 Shoshone County Big Year)
Surf Scoter 1 Page Ponds, Oct. 7,
Lisa Hardy
Osprey: 1 North Fork Coeur
d'Alene River, Oct. 30, Lisa Hardy
Rough-legged Hawk 1 Farragut State Park, Nov.
3, Ed Buchler
Thayer's Gull: 1 on the docks at the Beach House Restaurant on Coeur d'Alene
Lake Drive, Nov. 20, Mike Halderman
Northern Pygmy-Owl 1 heard, North Fork Coeur d'Alene River,
Oct. 30 (at her home)
Rock Wren 1
North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene,
Aug. 25, Lisa Hardy
Bohemian Waxwing:
4 across the street from the Beach House Restaurant on Coeur d'Alene Lake
Drive, Nov. 20, Mike Halderman
Top of Page
THE FISH HAWK 
All are welcome
to the annual Christmas Potluck after the Christmas Bird Count, Dec 15th, at
about 5 p.m. or when it is too dark to bird!