Two Swans A-Swimming

Also sighted at Lacreek Nat'l Wildlife Rufuge a week ago...

Trumpeter Swans! I only saw the two, at a good distance as you can see by the blurry photo. The Trumpeter Swan is North America's largest waterfowl and one of its rarest native birds. Trumpeters may live 20-30 years in the wild. They usually maintain very predictable annual movement and habitat use patterns unless faced with a significant habitat change. In turn, they teach these patterns to their cygnets. Pairs usually mate for life and return each year to the same nesting wetland, (Lacreek is a hotspot in SD), often using the same nest mound. After gaining flight in September, cygnets follow their parents to their wintering area and learn its resources and hazards while they remain with their parents through their first winter.

...The water channel at Lacreek NWR...the phalaropes favor this area for wading...

These snakes were all over the road in the refuge...some slithering, some unmoving like this guy, giving me the evil glint...and some road kill. I was frequently dodging snakes; good thing I don't have Ophidiophobia! I do, however, have Arachnephobia, so don't expect any spider photos on my blog...

Here's another ring-neck pheasant shot (see yesterday's post), the best I could get that day...I had to keep a good distance or they skeedaddled under the shrubs...which is exactly where this guy's heading.