• Tuesday-What'sUP May 20 - 09:05 am

Kelly Sullivan was at it again, out enjoying the beautiful area she lives in near Sidnaw. Today's photos were snapped in the Ottawa National Forest, where Kelly spotted two Trumpeter Swans enjoying the wetland area there.

She said these two were quite busy, with one swimming around, now and again dipping its head under water and the other was scooping up large piles of muck and grass with its bill, perhaps building their nest, she thought.

Whatever they were doing, it must have been fun watching them. They're such regal looking birds, almost like they're royalty!

Great pictures! Put some leaves on those trees and
you have an even better picture :-) Thanks for
sharing!

Beautiful birds!

Swans are so graceful! Looks like Spring is making a bit of an appearance UP there. Slow but surely.

Wonderful pictures of the swans. I often wondered why every time I see swans, which are a relatively large bird, they are in a small body of water that is congested with all sorts of clumps of things. It seems to me that would hinder their efforts to get airborne.

I bet you there is a nest there on a piece of land and brush.

Deb--Sorry to report that there are no leaves on the trees here in
Marquette County either. Still, the days are long, the snow has
melted and the bugs aren't out yet.

We saw swans swimming in the "show pools" near Seney on our way
up last week. We've also seen lots of wild turkeys, and heard one of
my all time favorite sounds--the call of the White Throated
Sparrow. The trout lilies are in bloom, and I think the marsh
marigolds will be out soon.

Swans are almost entirely herbivorous, though they may eat small amounts of aquatic animals. In the water, food is obtained by up ending or dabbling. Their diet is composed of the roots, tubers, stems and leaves of aquatic and submerged plants.
Swans build their nests on top of land usually surrounded by water. The male is usually the one that scoops up the roots (mostly cattails)and drops it on land. Though they work together to build a mound shaped nest of assorted plant materials lined with feathers and down. It takes about 2-3 weeks. The female nestles down and makes an indentation with her chest in the nest before laying.
Swans need 30 yards to become airborne and another 30 yards to reach correct height to avoid things like trees and houses.

Swans are beautiful.