FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Mystery swan - Rockingham County

["Clair Mellinger" <mellinac@xxxxxxx>]

I just returned from Silver Lake to look at the swan Allen Larner found this
morning.  It has many characteristics of the Trumpeter Swan.  However it
has no neck collar or band although I couldn't see the complete leg.  Some
of the Trumpeter features that I noted are: 
- a distinct V of forehead feathers extending down onto the maxilla
- very straight maxilla line from the forehead to the tip of the beak 
- very straight line on the bottom of the mandible
- still has a very gray-brown head and neck;  Sibley implies that Trumpeters 
retain the         
        darker first-year feathers longer than the Tundras 
- a very long bill 

The one character that does not fit a Trumpeter is that the feather 
line from the eye to the base of the mandible is not a smooth 
straight or even curved line; there is a distinct indentation in that
feather line making a rather sharp downward angle as it approaches the
mandible.

Cheryl Lyon has sent me some good photos of the bird which I will 
be glad to forward to anyone who would like to see them.

Ken Ranck just called me and told me that they saw not only two 
crossbills around the nest area (above Briery Branch) but .3 mile 
farther up they road they found two crossbills "graveling" along the side
of the road.  One of these birds was a "bright" immature male.

While they were watching these birds a raptor came sailing through 
the area.  Ken is quite sure that it was an immature Golden Eagle.  
He and his daughter spent 30 minutes watching an immature 
Golden Eagle in Highland County yesterday so he has a pretty 
fresh "search image" in mind.  So keep your eyes open.

Clair Mellinger

Biology Department
Eastern Mennonite University
Harrisonburg VA  22802
(540) 432-4409  Fax: (540) 432-4488
mellinac@xxxxxxx
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