Where the Swans are

If you are ever in Minnesota between November and February, go to Monticello to see more than 1500 Trumpter Swans. It is truly a sight to see.





Perhaps moreso because of the swan comeback. Swans used to be scattered throughout the U.S. and Canada. In the 1800s, Trumpeter Swans were in high demand for their feathers which were used in hats and for pens and writing quills. Because of that, they were hunted until people believed they were extinct. Then, someone found two swan nests in Yellowstone in 1919. In 1966, naturalists reintroduced the swans to Minnesota. By 1994, there were more than 200 in the state and more flock here every year.

Why do they come to Monticello?

The mom and dad swans raise the baby swans, called Cygnets, through their first winter and first flights. Then, they literally chase the Cygnets away. The young swans siblings stay together until they find their mate for life--and where better to find that than where the waters are warm all winter--in Monticello, downstream from a nuclear power plant.

The plant up the river keeps the water warm, and a lady named Sheila provides shelled corn for their food. What a great place to mingle. Sheila has been providing the corn for more than 20 years, and she has done it all on a donation basis. As you can see, several ducks and geese are freeloading too.






The dating game is funny to watch. Several swan will chase each other and honk at each other and snap at each other's backsides. You can see some of this in the pictures. You can spend a few minutes here watching and laughing.There aren't many signs to the Swan park. It's just a sliver of land between two houses, and you can stand and take pictures in a fenced-in area. When one of our photographers went out to do a story there, the lady in the next house yelled at him for trespassing in her yard. "The National Geographic people had to stay in the fence, so you can too!" We didn't dare.




I didn't have my good camera with me, so here's a few from the point and shoot. The video is not the best, but listen to it just to hear the sound. It sounds like a warm-up before a concert.

The swans have already started to leave and fly South. While we drove north, we saw several pair flying in that direction. Guess they found their mate for life.... we'll see them back in November.