Trumpeter Swan @ Otter Lake, 6-16-05

This swan surprised us in the canoe, it flew up from behind and honked VERY loudly. The pic's of it are not that great but what i'm trying to show you is that this thing was gigantic. I've never seen anything like it... it easily had a wingspan of 7 feet and it's neck was about 3 feet long. Looked like a pteradactyle flying over us.

I looked it up and found this:

The Trumpeter Swan is the largest waterfowl species native to North America. Most Trumpeters weigh 21-30 pounds, although large males may exceed 35 pounds. The male is called a cob; the female is called a pen. These snow-white birds are truly spectacular. Standing on the ground, an adult Trumpeter stands about 4 feet high. And can have a wingspan of up to 8 feet.

Were going to go back and try to get some good pic's of them flying.