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The Trumpeter Swan is the largest of the North American waterfowl. It has a wingspan of more than 7 feet. It is so beautiful with its pure white plumage. It is a thrill to see a pair of them fly over.

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But when you see over 2,900 of them together it is pretty amazing. That is how many are wintering in Monticello this year.

Surrounded by Trumpeter Swans

This week I drove down with a friend of mine to photograph the Trumpeters. An elderly lady has been feeding them since 1986. She passed away a year ago and her family is keeping the tradition alive. This is either her husband or son putting the corn out for the swans the day we were there. If you are wondering how I took this photo, I set the exposure to 1/30 of a second and turned the camera as I took the picture.

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Feeding time.

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Their deep resonant trumpet-like call can be heard for miles. When hundreds of them are bugling at once it can be deafening.

Coming in for a Landing

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Swans mate for life and you could see several of them paired up.

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This pair seemed to be giving each other a huge hug.

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I would highly recommend taking a trip to Monticello if you haven’t experienced seeing these graceful birds up close.