Sunset at “Back Bay”
Do you hear what I hear?
Have you ever heard a sound that perplexed you? One you just couldn’t quite figure it out?
Sometimes our senses leave us scratching our heads. And sometimes they downright deceive us.
Like many around the world, my co-workers and I have been toggling back and forth between working from the office (safely distanced and masked-up) and working from home. A few weeks ago, however, we were asked to return to 100% remote work, due to the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. My work-from-home mode means I set up shop at the island in my cozy kitchen. It’s my virtual command center. The other day, I made the delightfully short commute in to work, poured myself a nice, hot cup of coffee, fired up the laptop, and eagerly leaned into my day.
Focusing on a new project had me feeling productive and happy, and the hours slipped away.
My fingers were flying freely across the keyboard, when suddenly they froze, hovering mid-air above home row. Unidentifiable noises had stopped me cold. Interrupting my sweet solitude was a strange sequence of sounds – kind of like the far-away yapping of a pack of small terriers, and yet, these were no ordinary barks.
The “barks” subsided and returned, sometimes loudly, sometimes softly, ebbing and flowing like waves on the shore of my mind. I’d catch a little piece of it, then it would vanish into thin air. As the sound continued, irritation set in. What in the world was it and where was it coming from?!
That doggone noise confounded me!
Properly perturbed, I gave in. I pushed “pause” on the project and myself away from the island. Making my way to the window, I craned my neck up-up-up to follow the noise. There it was! Wow, what a sight! Directly overhead, high in the sky, I spotted several large white birds, flying in perfect V-formation:
A flock of tundra swans was migrating high above me!
The morning sun’s rays illumined the swans to appear a dazzling white. As their urgent cries to one another continued, I quickly grabbed my phone and ran outside in hopes of trying to capture the stately scene on video. Unfortunately, I was a little too late. Away south they all flew, off to the refuge!
I was excited to have witnessed something so spectacular. My aforementioned irritation quickly shifted to wonder – what had just happened was cool!
Canada geese – I’ve seen plenty. But I couldn’t remember ever seeing these beautiful snow-white birds in migratory flight. They seemed to be flying much higher than our Canadian friends… I wondered, is that typical behavior for tundra swans? Stop to think of it, I wondered if these even were tundra swans –I’m definitely no expert in waterfowl species identification. My mind began spinning with these questions and more.
Later, my research began, and I received a proper primer in “all things swan”. Images, descriptions, and information abounded on the internet. I found out from BBNWR website that “the arrival of tundra swans marks the arrival of winter here in Virginia Beach. They travel here from northern parts of the U.S. and Canada every November through February, and they are usually heard before they are seen.” Aha! Now we were getting somewhere. I read that tundra swans can be heard up to 3 miles away, and yes, in case you were wondering, their bugling calls really do sound like barking dogs.
But don’t take my word for it – listen to their flight calls for yourself.
Tundra Swans
I scrolled through photo after photo of swans in flight, swans on the water, swans nesting. I learned that swans can sleep on either land or water, and that they can reach flying speeds of up to 60 mph (up to 100 mph in a good tail wind). I even stumbled across what some consider the hidden meaning of
“7 swans-a-swimming” from that old familiar Christmas carol.
Tundra swans are sometimes confused for Trumpeter swans when it comes to identification.
Tundras have a small yellow spot near the base of their bills, one of the markings that distinguishes them from Trumpeters. A characteristic whistling in their wings led Meriwether Lewis to call Tundra swans “whistling swans”, a name still in use. The whistling can be heard even when the swans are 110 feet or more overhead.
A third species, the Mute swan, also populates the waters and shorelines of North America, but this fellow is not native to America. The Mute swan was made famous by the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, “The Ugly Duckling”, and can be distinguished from the other swans by its long neck that’s held in a graceful S-curve. It has an orange bill with a black knob at the base. The Mute swan is an invasive species.
Mute Swan
After doing my due diligence in swan sleuthing, I was satisfied that I had landed on the right bird after all (pun intended). Tundra swans they were! (at least, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!)
I remembered seeing a beautiful image of a tundra swan posted on BBNWR Society’s photo gallery, wings fully extended. I credit this photo below (thank you to Barry Kutzer) with helping me identify the swans in the first place. Check out this spectacular sight!
Photo courtesy of Barry Kurzer
I discovered that these amazing waterfowl are long-lived birds (some live 20-30 years), and that they mate for life. They have a wingspan of up to six feet! It’s thought that up to 10,000 tundra swan migrate to the Virginia coast through spring. They prefer shallow lakes and coastal estuaries where they find their favorite foods such as grasses and pondweeds. While they eat mainly plant matter, they’ll also eat mollusks and arthropods. They’re not only looking for food, but for safe cover in which to rest.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge provides a perfect place for these majestic birds to winter.
Tundra swans fly in a V-formation just like geese. This helps them save energy for their long flight. Scientists have conducted studies on other migratory waterfowl and discovered that the birds position themselves in just the right spot – just off to the right or left of the bird in front of them- to take advantage of the “upwash” of air coming off the wings of the front bird. They perfectly time their own flap to use that air current to its best advantage. Pretty genius, if you ask me.
But here’s the really cool part: the bird’s use of this “good air” is very consistent. Scientists had only expected the birds to stay in the “sweet spot” 20% of the time, but found them doing it almost 100% of the time!
Have you seen tundra swan at the refuge recently? Please leave a comment below!
It was neat witnessing and learning all about these majestic birds. My newfound knowledge made me want to see them for myself. I wondered if they would be difficult to spot at the refuge. So far, they’ve eluded me, but I’m not giving up. There are still plenty of opportunities left to see them this winter before they all head back to their Arctic breeding grounds on the tundra for which they’re named.
A few takeaways:
#1 There’s often more to something than meets the eye, or in this case, the ear.
Be open; question things; consider alternative theories.
#2 Minor annoyances can actually turn out to be little gifts from above. I obviously needed a brain break.
The feathered fly-over gave me pause, allowed me to step away from my work, and appreciate the
wonders of nature. After all was said and done, I was able to hit “reset” and return to work feeling
re-energized and motivated.
#3 Never stop learning. My swan song experience inspired me to further my knowledge and learn some
pretty interesting facts about our feathered friends from afar; now I’m excited about hopefully
catching a glimpse of them at the refuge.
The lessons I learned? Keep looking and listening. Stay curious. Be open to pleasant possibilities.
Today, I hope you get to take a break from your busy day. Who knows?
You just might have a little gift waiting to be discovered, too.
“See you down at the refuge!”
The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Society depends on donations to fund programs and projects that directly support the Refuge.
To make a donation click here
The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Society (Society) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote and support Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR) in its mission to conserve, protect, and enhance natural resources; through advocacy, outreach, education, fund raising, and projects for the betterment of BBNWR.
For more information regarding how to become involved, click here
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Posted: December 15, 2020 by Back Bay NWR Society
Do You Hear What I Hear? by Laura McMahon
Sunset at “Back Bay”
Do you hear what I hear?
Have you ever heard a sound that perplexed you? One you just couldn’t quite figure it out?
Sometimes our senses leave us scratching our heads. And sometimes they downright deceive us.
Like many around the world, my co-workers and I have been toggling back and forth between working from the office (safely distanced and masked-up) and working from home. A few weeks ago, however, we were asked to return to 100% remote work, due to the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. My work-from-home mode means I set up shop at the island in my cozy kitchen. It’s my virtual command center. The other day, I made the delightfully short commute in to work, poured myself a nice, hot cup of coffee, fired up the laptop, and eagerly leaned into my day.
Focusing on a new project had me feeling productive and happy, and the hours slipped away.
My fingers were flying freely across the keyboard, when suddenly they froze, hovering mid-air above home row. Unidentifiable noises had stopped me cold. Interrupting my sweet solitude was a strange sequence of sounds – kind of like the far-away yapping of a pack of small terriers, and yet, these were no ordinary barks.
The “barks” subsided and returned, sometimes loudly, sometimes softly, ebbing and flowing like waves on the shore of my mind. I’d catch a little piece of it, then it would vanish into thin air. As the sound continued, irritation set in. What in the world was it and where was it coming from?!
That doggone noise confounded me!
Properly perturbed, I gave in. I pushed “pause” on the project and myself away from the island. Making my way to the window, I craned my neck up-up-up to follow the noise. There it was! Wow, what a sight! Directly overhead, high in the sky, I spotted several large white birds, flying in perfect V-formation:
A flock of tundra swans was migrating high above me!
The morning sun’s rays illumined the swans to appear a dazzling white. As their urgent cries to one another continued, I quickly grabbed my phone and ran outside in hopes of trying to capture the stately scene on video. Unfortunately, I was a little too late. Away south they all flew, off to the refuge!
I was excited to have witnessed something so spectacular. My aforementioned irritation quickly shifted to wonder – what had just happened was cool!
Canada geese – I’ve seen plenty. But I couldn’t remember ever seeing these beautiful snow-white birds in migratory flight. They seemed to be flying much higher than our Canadian friends… I wondered, is that typical behavior for tundra swans? Stop to think of it, I wondered if these even were tundra swans –I’m definitely no expert in waterfowl species identification. My mind began spinning with these questions and more.
Later, my research began, and I received a proper primer in “all things swan”. Images, descriptions, and information abounded on the internet. I found out from BBNWR website that “the arrival of tundra swans marks the arrival of winter here in Virginia Beach. They travel here from northern parts of the U.S. and Canada every November through February, and they are usually heard before they are seen.” Aha! Now we were getting somewhere. I read that tundra swans can be heard up to 3 miles away, and yes, in case you were wondering, their bugling calls really do sound like barking dogs.
But don’t take my word for it – listen to their flight calls for yourself.
Tundra Swans
I scrolled through photo after photo of swans in flight, swans on the water, swans nesting. I learned that swans can sleep on either land or water, and that they can reach flying speeds of up to 60 mph (up to 100 mph in a good tail wind). I even stumbled across what some consider the hidden meaning of
“7 swans-a-swimming” from that old familiar Christmas carol.
Tundra swans are sometimes confused for Trumpeter swans when it comes to identification.
Tundras have a small yellow spot near the base of their bills, one of the markings that distinguishes them from Trumpeters. A characteristic whistling in their wings led Meriwether Lewis to call Tundra swans “whistling swans”, a name still in use. The whistling can be heard even when the swans are 110 feet or more overhead.
A third species, the Mute swan, also populates the waters and shorelines of North America, but this fellow is not native to America. The Mute swan was made famous by the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, “The Ugly Duckling”, and can be distinguished from the other swans by its long neck that’s held in a graceful S-curve. It has an orange bill with a black knob at the base. The Mute swan is an invasive species.
Mute Swan
After doing my due diligence in swan sleuthing, I was satisfied that I had landed on the right bird after all (pun intended). Tundra swans they were! (at least, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!)
I remembered seeing a beautiful image of a tundra swan posted on BBNWR Society’s photo gallery, wings fully extended. I credit this photo below (thank you to Barry Kutzer) with helping me identify the swans in the first place. Check out this spectacular sight!
Photo courtesy of Barry Kurzer
I discovered that these amazing waterfowl are long-lived birds (some live 20-30 years), and that they mate for life. They have a wingspan of up to six feet! It’s thought that up to 10,000 tundra swan migrate to the Virginia coast through spring. They prefer shallow lakes and coastal estuaries where they find their favorite foods such as grasses and pondweeds. While they eat mainly plant matter, they’ll also eat mollusks and arthropods. They’re not only looking for food, but for safe cover in which to rest.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge provides a perfect place for these majestic birds to winter.
Tundra swans fly in a V-formation just like geese. This helps them save energy for their long flight. Scientists have conducted studies on other migratory waterfowl and discovered that the birds position themselves in just the right spot – just off to the right or left of the bird in front of them- to take advantage of the “upwash” of air coming off the wings of the front bird. They perfectly time their own flap to use that air current to its best advantage. Pretty genius, if you ask me.
But here’s the really cool part: the bird’s use of this “good air” is very consistent. Scientists had only expected the birds to stay in the “sweet spot” 20% of the time, but found them doing it almost 100% of the time!
Have you seen tundra swan at the refuge recently? Please leave a comment below!
It was neat witnessing and learning all about these majestic birds. My newfound knowledge made me want to see them for myself. I wondered if they would be difficult to spot at the refuge. So far, they’ve eluded me, but I’m not giving up. There are still plenty of opportunities left to see them this winter before they all head back to their Arctic breeding grounds on the tundra for which they’re named.
A few takeaways:
#1 There’s often more to something than meets the eye, or in this case, the ear.
Be open; question things; consider alternative theories.
#2 Minor annoyances can actually turn out to be little gifts from above. I obviously needed a brain break.
The feathered fly-over gave me pause, allowed me to step away from my work, and appreciate the
wonders of nature. After all was said and done, I was able to hit “reset” and return to work feeling
re-energized and motivated.
#3 Never stop learning. My swan song experience inspired me to further my knowledge and learn some
pretty interesting facts about our feathered friends from afar; now I’m excited about hopefully
catching a glimpse of them at the refuge.
The lessons I learned? Keep looking and listening. Stay curious. Be open to pleasant possibilities.
Today, I hope you get to take a break from your busy day. Who knows?
You just might have a little gift waiting to be discovered, too.
“See you down at the refuge!”
The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Society depends on donations to fund programs and projects that directly support the Refuge.
To make a donation click here
The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Society (Society) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote and support Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR) in its mission to conserve, protect, and enhance natural resources; through advocacy, outreach, education, fund raising, and projects for the betterment of BBNWR.
For more information regarding how to become involved, click here