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Reporting sightings of banded Trumpeter Swan's:
Lauri Hanauska-Brown, Wildlife Biologist with the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game is the project leader for the trumpeter swan translocation project. They are very interested in any and all swan observations. They are specifically looking for green and yellow neck collared swans and/or 'pink wing' swans. Swan observations in unusual locales are also helpful, so that they can include those areas in their survey route. Their technician is on his way north today (1/26/04) to count swans at Hebgen Lake, Quake Lake, and the surrounding areas.
If you observe any Trumpeter Swans with neck bands or pink colored wings, please report them to Lauri. Lauri can be reached at the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game, 4279 Commerce Circle in Idaho Falls, ID 83401 and by telephone: 208-525-7290; Fax: 208-523-7604 or e-mail at lhanausk@idfg.state.id.us .
Kurt Finlayson reported a Trumpeter Swan with a green neck band with the alphanumeric 5E3 on it in December. It was at the South end of Bear Lake. This information was forwarded onto Lauri. She in turn provided the original banding information on this Trumpeter back to Kurt.
Trumpeter Swan 5E3 was released at Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge in 2002 as a yearling. This individual was part of a captive rearing program run by Wyoming Wetland Society in Jackson. This bird was hatched from an egg collected at Gray's Lake refuge during the dry summer of 2001. Each year, Gray's Lake refuge, Idaho Fish and Game, and Wyoming Wetland Society work together to salvage eggs from the refuge to later release yearling birds at the refuge. This project is simply one part of a much larger attempt to restore breeding trumpeters into suitable habitat in southeast Idaho.
Your observations and reporting is greatly appreciated by the translocation project team and Lauri.
Bill Fenimore
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