A half-dozen or more Tundra Swans have arrived at Robert’s Bay.
Almost all Tundra Swans can be identified by their yellow lores (lore: the region between the eye and the bill). Not all Tundras show this spot, and when seen the spot is variable in size, yet it is a good indicator of the species.
Robert’s Bay (the bay in front of Blaylock’s Mansion) is quite shallow. Swans appear to be able to spot shallow feeding areas as they fly over the Lake, and so Robert’s Bay is a perennial springtime favourite of swans (as are the shallows at Kokanee Creek Park).
Late March and early April is the time to see Tundras at Robert’s Bay as they stop to feed on their way to the high arctic. If they stick around for a few days, I may be able to get some better shots.
Both members of this pair of Tundra Swans show yellow lores, but the male (bigger, foreground) displays a much larger yellow lore than does the female.
I missed them today. There were some swans just downstream of the Taghum Bridge, visible from the highway. I wonder if they were Tundras.