Does these birds extreme tameness make us want to re-evaluate their "wildness," or have they just likely become acclimated to humans? I don't know if the "wild" reintroduced Trumpeters farther north sometimes show such extreme tameness or not. Other "wild" waterfowl do, including many "wild" mute swans in Europe.
Bill Pulliam Hohenwald TN
On Oct 9, 2012, at 12:07 PM, Bob Hatcher wrote:The Trupeter Swans, that have been on a North Lane pond near Eagleville for several days, are apparently the same that have been on my cousin's pond on Lampkins Bridge Road, College Grove, TN for a few months. Emily Bowman emailed me this morning (October 9, 2012) that they had left their pond about five days ago. According to Google, the North Lane pond is located 10 air miles SE of the Lampkins Bridge Road pond.The following are the records of the Trumpeter Swans at the Lampkins Bridge Road pond:• Emily Bowman has advised me that the two trumpeter swans had been on their pond for several days after Christmas during each of the prior two winters.• Her former law office colleague, Chris Sloan, reported on June 26, 2012 that he had viewed photos of the swans on her pond, where they had been seen for the prior "week or so" - since approximately June 19, 2012.• The swans remained on that pond until they temporarily departed on July 4, 2012.• They were then reported by several birders two miles to the east on Cox's Lake, adjacent to I-840, from July 6 at least through July 31, 2012.• They returned to the Lampkins Bridge Road pond on August 27, 2012, where they were seen essentially daily, except for September 9, when she saw them on a pond north of Cox's Pond, on Cox Road near Arrington, TN.• They have been back at her pond from September 10 until about five days ago, which would be October 4, 2012. I last photographed them on the pond on September 29.Bob Hatcher Brentwood, TN
