Birds that breed to the north and winter to the south, migrate past the Lake at this time of year. Tuesday, I was watching two swans feasting in the shallows off of Kokanee Creek Park, when a flock of Snow Buntings landed between the swans and me. Neither species will be here for long. And then there were the mergansers.
As we get visits from both Tundra and Trumpeter Swans, it is always a game to try to figure out the species of one seen in the distance. This one looks like a Trumpeter to me.
Although, its partner (left) looks more like a Tundra. So, I just don’t know.
[Correspondents unanimously say that these are Trumpeter Swans.]
While I was watching the swans, a large flock of small whitish birds flew in.
It was a flock of over four-dozen Snow Buntings that landed to feed on the beach during migration.
Having exhausted one spot, the flock would abruptly take off and fly along the beach to another.
In the midst of all of this, a flock of Common Mergansers flew by. While many mergansers are permanent residents, these were probably migrants passing through from farther north.
What beautiful darlings. I’ve never seen snow buntings. You are so fortunate, as are we.