On 10 September 2019 we released four cygnets (young swans) onto the Yellowstone River at Alum Creek in Yellowstone National Park.

Since our previous post the snow at the rearing pond has melted away. The captive pair of Trumpeter Swans have been placed on the pond and the female is now incubating her nest, with the male in attendance.

As the days grow longer, snow and ice begin to melt and Trumpeter Swans head from their wintering grounds to their breeding sites. Young pairs, usually three to four years old, spend their first year together scouting for unoccupied habitat where they can breed in future years.

Each year, the Greater Yellowstone Trumpeter Swan Working Group meets to discuss the status of Trumpeter Swans in the tristate area (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming). This year’s meeting took place in West Yellowstone, MT on 12-13 March.

An important component of any research effort is to learn from other researchers who are working in your field. In October, Walter Wehtje represented the WWS-RCF Partnership at the 6th International Swan Symposium, held in Tartu, Estonia. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet researchers from 17 countries, ranging from Iceland to China.

On Monday September 10th, the partnership released eight Trumpeter Swan cygnets into Yellowstone National Park. Four birds were released at Elk Antler Creek on The Yellowstone River and four were released at Seven-Mile Bridge on the Madison River, halfway between West Yellowstone and Madison Junction.