A Favorite Subject

Historic Cold, Resilient Swans                     2 March 2014

Tough old birds, the Trumpeter Swans have been as energetic as ever, building into their breeding season despite stubborn sub-zero temperatures.  I ventured out this Sunday evening on snowshoes to see what I could see, and I spent some time photographing what has ultimately become one of my favorite subjects on Earth--the Trumpeter Swan.  

My thermometer read -1 degree Fahrenheit at the start of the hike (-18 C). Even with snowshoes, the snow was remarkably deep and made for great exercise.  I made my way in a round-about sort of fashion, more than a mile through deep snow, and I finished with a long sneak to one of my favorite haunts.  The swans were there, and they did not disappoint.  

Windblown snow patterns, Saint Croix River

Eastern Wild Turkey flock heading to the river snow for take-off

Coyote pair, track compression relief, excavated by wind

Pure, driven snow, just like the old saying...

Winged departures and arrivals are just part of the routine when open water has shrunk to such rare and valuable real estate.  This evening, active swans gave frequent opportunities for action photography, fondly known as BIF photography (Birds In Flight).  Otter sign was abundant, but no otters made an appearance.  I sat deeply submerged in the snow and took in the show from the warmth of a double-lined jacket and bibs, snowshoes awkwardly splayed beneath a couple of feet of snow.  In the still silence, trembling, staccato trumpeter swan song echoed from valley and gave voice to the winter. 

Snowshoe tracks, sunset, open water, and swans...

These images were made with a refurbished Canon 7D and 300mm f4L IS lens.  The landscape image was made with a Nokia Lumia 928 Smart Phone.  By the end of the evening, it was -10 Fahrenheit (-23 C) with only 450 hours to go until Spring!  Welcome to one of recorded weather history's top five brutal winters! Meanwhile, all around, most parts of the world still experience record warming with climate change, and I wonder where this will all end up.