Trumpeter Swans

La Salle Park in Burlington has a program to reestablish Trumpeter Swans. There is a colony of about 200 swans in the basin at LaSalle Park.  They are all tagged and hand fed in the winter by volunteers.  You can see how big they are compared to the Canada Geese.  They are pretty noisy, honking, bobbing their long necks and flapping their wings.

Compared to the mute swans they are much taller.  They are easily distinguished by their black beaks.  Mute swans have orange beaks. Trumpeter swans are the largest species of native waterfowl in North America.  They were nearing extinction in North America. In 1933, Overhunting by early European settlers had reduced the numbers of trumpeters to just 77 breeding adults in Canada.
Harry Lumsden, retired from the Ministry of Natural Resources, with the help of dozens of volunteers has brought the swans back to Ontario. He started the program in 1982. There are over 1,000 trumpeters in the south-central part of the province now.  For more information go to: http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/2009/03/29/trumpeter_swans_making_a_comeback_in_ontario.html

Looking across Hamilton Harbour from LaSalle Park. this spot is a haven for ducks, Canada geese, Trumpeter swans and mute swans.

Bobbing, dancing and weaving to their loud trumpeting.