Recent Shoots

A Texas Trumpeter?
Over the past couple weeks, my Dad (my co-pilot on most of my shoots) and I had a real blessing - actually two blessings.

We decided to check out the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. What a great place for birding and for photography! It's only about an hour from Houston, close to Lake Jackson. At over 43,000 acres, it is full of wildlife.

Among all the abundant wildlife there, we came across a swan. Having never encountered a wild swan in Texas, we didn't know what kind it was. We got out the Brazoria NWR bird checklist and the only swan listed was the Tundra Swan which was listed as accidental, meaning it has only been seen one or two times. But after getting out the The Sibley Guide to Birds, this swan appeared to be a Trumpeter Swan. After returning home I decided to do some research and see how rare this sighting was.

I first contacted Ray Little. He is a walking, talking, wildlife encyclopedia. He is an internationally recognized ornithologist who guides tours to the Aransas NWR on the Wharf Cat, a boat that is harbored in Rockport. Ray told me "the Trumpeter will be seen in the Coastal Bend area about every 5 to 10 years."

Then I contacted Madeleine Linck at the Trumpeter Swan Society. Their website is dedicated entirely to the Trumpeter Swan. Madeleine said "It is unusual to have Trumpeters in Texas, but there have been several reported the last few years. Two swans near Lubbock (1996) were banded in Minnesota. There have been more sightings in Oklahoma and Arkansas, but we think those in Texas go underreported. Historically, Trumpeters did winter in Texas."

Ruth Shea, executive director of the Trumpeter Swan Society, replied, "the Texas Gulf Coast was a major historic wintering area for trumpeters but their migrations to that area have been severed for most of the past century. This is the first confirmation that I know of a wintering trumpeter reaching that area in recent decades."

Madeleine Linck referred me to Mark Lockwood at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He is a conservation biologist, and also the secretary of the Texas Bird Records Committee. He told me "this bird represents the fourth modern record of Trumpeter Swan for the state. With your permission, I would like to print off a couple of your photos to be included in the Texas Photo Record File at Texas A&M University." Of course, I was honored to oblige.

My edition of the Field Guide to the Birds of Texas states this about the Trumpeter: "Formerly occasional winter visitor to Texas. Not recorded in recent years."

We revisited the Brazoria NWR on March 15 and the Swan was still there. He seems to prefer one particular slough. If you want to head out there, contact me and I will tell you where to look. We have sighted the swan on Feb. 15, Feb. 23, March 2 and March 15, 2002.

Directions: From Houston go south on SH 288 about 35 miles to FM 523. Go east of FM 523 about 10 miles to CR227. Go about 2 miles to the refuge entrance on the right.

Texas Birds - Reference Books
Birds of Texas : A Field Guide
Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of Texas
Birder's Guide to Texas
Great Texas Birds

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