Hermit Warbler / Trumpeter Swans

Thanks to Vinnie Pelligrino for somehow finding the little Hermit Warbler yesterday at Sunken Meadow State Park.  After an hour of standing in the freezing cold, the sun peaked out and the bird cooperated for the above shot which was the only "keeper" in the bunch.  It had to be cropped down to just 16% of the original image as well, but I'm pretty satisfied.  Maybe the bird will remain for a bit allowing better images.

The Trumpter Swans that have frequented Upper Lake for the past two winters have returned (the report I heard from about two weeks ago).  Here they are, happily swimming while the Mute Swans stayed away, knowing they're not match for the slightly larger Trumpeters.

ID'ing birds that are unfamiliar is never easy - but having the right book is.  I use the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America which is a fantastic resource.

Trumpeter Swans in Yaphank

The pair of Trumpter Swans which spent the better part of last winter in Yaphank have returned this season (as early as December from what I hear).  Here is a photo I took the morning of December 28, 2009.  The quality is pretty bad (by my standards anyway) but because of the ice and presence of Mute Swans on-site the Trumpeters have been spending a lot of their time on the Northern end of the lake.

In the photos (click to see larger view), the pink line along the beak is visible, which is the give-away for this species which can be tough to differentiate from the Tundra Swan at a distance.  The Tundra Swan however has a yellow spot near its eye, and also will often be seen in agricultural fields feeding.  The Trumpeter Swan is predominantly dabbler and is usually seen feeding in the water.  Here is a photo of one of the swans from LAST winter: