The tundra swan migration is currently underway. During this spectacular migration about 60,000 swans make their way from their wintering grounds in Chesapeake Bay to the Canadian Arctic via our little corner of the world. Over a period of 3 to 4 months the swans travel about 6,000 km.
The tundra swans have two main staging areas near us. One in Aylmer, and the other near Grand Band, which is where we headed on a grey, gloomy day.
We spotted what looked like swans in the field
and went a bit closer,
a little bit closer,
and we made them fly away.
It wasn’t a smart move, but I forgot my big lens at home…
There were a lot of swans flying overhead, heading this way
and that way, and the other way again. There was no point following them so we headed to where we read that they will be; Greenway Road just east of Highway 21.
We saw the cars and people on both sides of the road and knew we made it to the right place.
There were thousands of swans far into the fields.
They were busy doing swan things, and making a racket while they’re at it. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty bad video, but it will give you an idea of what it was like on the ground.
It wasn’t a great day to take photos, and I mentioned the lack of appropriate lens, but here are a couple of grey and gloomy photos.
We came back a Two days later with a slightly bigger lens and hopes of better visibility.
It was a little better, but we could have used an even bigger lens and some better, brighter sunshine.
We shouldn’t complain about the photos since we had the opportunity to experience it in person. And really, not everything is about taking the perfect photo, but we wanted to be able to share with you the experience with better photos. Maybe next year.
We watched the hectic activity, the coming and going of new flocks, swans taking flight, and swans poking their heads in the mud for some food.
Despite the visibility challenges, we took a lot of photos (of course) and we will leave you with a few of them. You can click and enlarge for a bit of a better view.
Until next time.
Which cool birds migrate through your area? We would love to hear about them!
It looks like the connection zone at the airports 🙂
An amazing sight! Thank you for sharing.
It was very cool to watch!
Haha, it kind of does!
How neat to see part of the tundra swan migration. I have never seen so many swans in one place before. Despite the weather (and not having an even bigger lense), your pictures turned out pretty well.
I don’t think I’ve seen so many swans in my entire life, let alone in one place 😊
Wow! I would love to see that. The closest I’ve come is the Canadian geese landing in the marshlands of Truro NS and wave after wave of them landing was amazing.
It’s amazing to see those huge flocks of birds join in such journeys. Nature’s wonders!
How nice you get such a display in your area. We get the Trumpeters and Whooping Cranes flying over us here, but they seldom land nearby. Swans and cranes are such elegant fliers. Thanks for sharing. Allan
They are very graceful and watching thousands of them being graceful together is a unique sight!
Terrific showcase of nature!
I agree!
Very cool!
It is!
I’m going to be blogging soon about a former endangered species (Aleutian Canada Goose) that migrates through our area, My dad was on the recovery team that helped brought this bird back. It’s the main reason we moved to California.
I remember you mentioning it. Looking forward to reading all about it!
Beautiful! 🙂
We thought so too!
I was on my way to George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, just south of Vancouver, hoping to spot a snowy owl. I still haven’t managed to see one, but on that trip, before I reached the sanctuary, I saw hundreds of Siberian geese in a field resting in between their migratory journey. I’m sure you felt witnessing the swans, as I did these noisy birds.
Yes, it’s overwhelmingly noisy! I was looking for snowy owl around here with no luck. YOther people were posting pictures of them in places that we frequent, but we were not as lucky.
I have heard about tundra swans, but it’s so cool you got to see them for real!
It was very cool to see them!
Oh wow there’re so many of them👀✨Lucky you, I’ve only seen 3~5 in one place. The sounds of them could hide your foot step sounds😉
I know! Crazy noisy, and lots of commotion in one place, but very beautiful at the same time.
How wonderful! Thank you for posting, wish I could see this in person. ‘Spectacular’ is right 🦢
Do you have mass migration similar to these in Australia?
I’m sure we do. Conservation groups protect such areas for sea birds around coastlines. Thanks, I will look into this more. (The only giant groups of birds I’ve seen were of pigeons and gulls.)
that’s a lot of birds – thanks for the phots and the video. it’s amazing that they are able to find their way back to the same locations year after year…
It’s incredible! And to think that we sometimes lose our way in our own town 🙂
It’s always a treat to see a swan or two from time to time. But wow, what an amazing sight to see so many of them in migration. The photos are lovely!
We get grosbeaks in our backyard around this time of the year returning from the south and they are such beautiful birds.
I love grosbeaks! They always remind me of Algonquin Park! I never saw any in my yard north of Toronto though.
Wow – what a great post. I would love to be there to witness this migration – how lucky for you to capture such great photos.
We felt very lucky to be able to watch this marvel unfold!
Wow! That’s really something. The video may be a blurry, but it definitely showcases the quantity of these beautiful birds. Have never seen so many swans in one area. Just last week I saw about 10 swans on Lake Ontario. I thought that was a lot as I’ve only seen them on the lake in twos. We do get a huge migration of black ducks here on the lake. Literally thousands of them stop for a rest during their migration. And of course in August we’ll see the Monarchs flying south. Isn’t nature fabulous!
The black duck must be a magnificent sight! I am looking forward to the monarchs migration this year. I think a lot of them will pass through Sarnia,
Yes you’ll definitely see them go through Sarnia. Very exciting to see. I’ll try to photograph the black ducks this year and will share. It is a sight for sure.
Cool! I’d love to see that!
Don’t be negative about your photos; they are magnificent. In Australia our Black swans do not migrate. They can be nomadic and wander all over the place. The thing that surprises me is that sometimes some of our dry salt lakes fill with water – this only happens now and then – and after a little while there are swans and pelicans and I don’t know how they know that there is water there.
Thanks, John, you are very kind 😊 I don’ think I’ve ever seen a black swan in real life. They are so beautiful! And I am always amazed at birds ability to find water, nectar, and food. They really are wondrous creatures.
Lucky you! They’re gorgeous. Thanks for these photos. Fondly, Muriel
Thanks for joining us, Muriel!
This is amazing. My sister and I were on a drive one time when we witnessed sandhill cranes migrating, taking a rest break in a huge field. It was so surprising. We rarely see cranes, so driving by an entire field filled with hundreds of them was unusual.
The sandhill cranes are amazing. We had a similar experience and we were so thrilled to be abv;e to see them!
I had not heard of tundra swans before! That is a lot of very large birds! It is an amazing site. Thank you for sharing.
I haven’t either and it was amazing to see! Thanks for coming along.
Great pictures! Living here in the Port Dover /Long Point area we often see them while going about our daily lives.
They basically go over your heads! Must be pretty noisy at times, but what a beautiful sight!
How wonderful to be a stop on their long journey! They are such beautiful birds. You have given us a glimpse into what it would be like to stand there and watch them. Thanks!
It was fabulous to see and I hope we’ll be better prepared for next year’s journey!
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