Monday, February 27, 2012

Band Practice

We took a little Winter road trip over the weekend.  In Monticello, Minnesota there is an official Swan Park.  And all you have to do is drive up, park and open your car door to know there are swans there.  The sounds of geese honking and swans trumpeting fills the air.  
There is a viewing platform and 100's of swans.  Hit it Maestro!  It sounds like band practice on steroids!  

They are actually quite huge.  And an interesting fact is that they have more vertebrae in their graceful necks then any other mammal.  Including Giraffes!  Look at the size difference between the geese and the trumpeters.  When you see them swimming across the Mississippi River they look like boats.  In Boston they would be.  


A little quarreling.

 Twenty Five years ago the Swan Lady Sheila Lawrence started feeding the band.  Sheila passed away last year but her husband Jim continues her legacy. He feeds the swans every morning from November through March.

And there are even some treats for people.  You can donate some cash to buy corn for the whole band. All 1,000 of them!

Don't forget to stop back on Wednesday for my latest recipe. Giant Swan drumsticks with cornbread.  Kidding!!!!! 

9 comments:

DJan said...

Ha! Like you would ever shoot a beautiful bird like that... I know you wouldn't. Would you? :-)

Love the pictures, Sharon.

Linda Hensley said...

Tastes like chicken? :) I've never seen so many swans together like that. I could've sworn I left you a comment for your "capable", but maybe I was hallucinating again. Anyway, nice job!

Christina Rodriguez said...

Wow! I hadn't known trumpeter swans were that big! I've never seen them next to geese like that.

Did you ever watch "The Tudors?" After King Henry has Anne Bolyn killed, he eats a swan. I always thought that was weird, even if I get the symbolism.

Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats said...

Hi! Thanks for visiting our bloggie and oohing and ahhing over Coco's wigs, hahameow!

Swans are magical. Teri's favorite bird sound is Mourning Doves...

Pat Tillett said...

WOW! I never knew swans were that big! Canadian geese are also big and these swans dwarf them! GREAT photos. I'd love to see this spot in person.

Tweedles -- that's me said...

Oh how we would love to go there and see all the swans and geese and ducks and everything! We would love to hear what you heard!
What fantastic photos!
love
tweedles

Hilary said...

They certainly are huge. I'm well aware of how larger our Canada geese are and they look like sparrows next to the swans. Your last paragraph cracked me up.

Ellen Whyte said...

oh wow! I don't like swans as people but they sure are graceful.

The Retired One said...

I would LOVE LOVE to go there to do photography. I just love swans. It is always a thrill to see wild swans here deep in the woods on remote ponds.