What's Your Nature?

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Trumpeter Swans on the Grasse River

Posted by Ben Dixon,
North Country explorer from
November 25, 2021

In driving down Route 68 toward Canton, I spotted a good number of Trumpeter Swans on the Grasse River.  I pulled over in a safe space and was able to count 15 of them! I captured this photo showing two adults and three immature swans (the ones with the grayish necks and heads). So named for their trumpet-like calls, the Trumpeter Swan is the largest waterfowl native to North America, getting to be six feet in length and with wingspans of 8.5 feet! (Read more about this species at https://ebird.org/species/truswa.) Trumpeter Swans do breed in St. Lawrence County, including in the Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area in Canton.