Turn loose the swans

Every year Tundra swans come south to my town to roost for the winter. They are similar to your typical Mute swan (an invasive species imported from Europe). The differences are noticeable, however. They have a black bill instead of orange. In that regard they look very similar to Trumpeter swans, except they hold their neck straighter, and the neck is shorter. Both Trumpeter and Tundra swans make noises, which is another way to tell them apart. These swans are very shy and thus difficult to observe.

It was a blizzard outside, and the wind was fierce. The snow banks were up past my knees. My approach scared them away, so I ducked behind a bench. After a while, they returned only to leave again shortly thereafter.



This was taken with my Yashica 200mm f4, and I cropped it about 30%. If you embiggen it you can see them in the center, still too distant to really appreciate.