Winter Guests

We have special visitors in Arkansas during the winter months. Visitors that normally don't come this far south. Every winter trumpeter swans have chosen Magness Lake and the region near Heber Springs as their winter home. Although trumpeter swans are common in the mid and northwest portions of the United States, they typically do not venture any further south than Colorado, so this is quite a treat for us.

In 1990 three swans showed up at the lake. It's believed they were blown off their normal course by a large storm. Anyway, they liked it here and return each year bringing their extended family. What began as a small group of three, now numbers from 500 to 1,000 on several lakes in Arkansas. Numbers have increased until this has become the largest and most consistent wintering flock of Trumpeters in the southern U.S.

Trumpeter swans at the largest waterfowl in North America weighing about 35 pounds and having a wing span of eight feet. That is HUGE!

They are so beautiful; the epitome of grace. I watched as they peacefully and quietly floated on the lake and then they began to HONK! Not the delicate sound I was expecting, but a loud trumpet-like honk. They made me laugh. As families of swans came near other families, they chatted. All of them honking at the same time carrying on some type of conversation.

Adult male swans, know as cobs and females, know as pens, are snowy white except for their beaks and feet. The young, know as cygnets have more brown coloring.

The lake is also full of ring-necked ducks. They're cute to watch. They seem so small compared to the swans, but they're about 17" long. In the image below do you see the duck on the left that looks like there's a stick coming out of his head? He's actually standing on a tree stump that's right below the surface of the water. He'd jump up there sit a while, jump off, swim around the stump, and then jump back up on it. The ripples of water on the right is where one of the ducks just dove deep in the water. They stay under for a surprising amount of time.

At times fifty or more of these ducks would take off at once. It was amazing to hear they're wings and their feet splashing the water as they lifted. And just as amazing to hear them land again. When a large group landed they sounded like the whirring of a mini helicopter.

I was in the car ready to leave when a group of swans came soaring toward the lake. It was an incredible sight to see the huge fowl shooting like arrows through the sky, necks extended toward the lake. They flared their wings and gracefully landed in the water. Seriously breathtaking!

I had a lovely day visiting some lovely winter guests.

A Visit To Magness Lake

For years I've been wanting to drive to Magness Lake which is near Heber Springs, Arkansas. I always put it off. It's either too cold or the weather is bad during the three months of winter that I need to go. You see, each winter there is a most unusual occurrence at Magness Lake. Trumpeter swans arrive from the north and winter on this small bow-shaped lake. What is so unusual about that, you ask. We are The Natural State after all. Normally trumpeter swans live in the Midwest, Alaska, and even Wyoming, but never as far south as Arkansas. In 1990 three swans showed up at the lake, seemed to like it, and returned each year bringing their extended family. What began as a small group on one lake, now numbers about 500 who winter on several Arkansas lakes.

Did I see 500? NO!    100? NO!    50? NO!   Don't laugh but I waited too late in the season to go and there were only three left on the lake. I didn't do enough research and most of them had already migrated north. I was pretty disappointed that the lake wasn't covered with swans. Thank goodness for those three! I would have been VERY disappointed to travel that distance and see none.

Trumpeter swans are massive, the largest waterfowl species native to North America. They weigh about thirty pounds with up to an eight-foot wingspan. The adult birds are solid white, except for their beaks and feet. The younger ones are gray in color.

The whole time I was there dad kept a vigilant watch over the young one and the mother. I wondered if dad was waiting until the younger one was a little stronger before heading north.

Mom and youngster spent most of their time feeding, but not dad. I only saw him duck below the water one time for a bite too eat!

I kind of felt sorry for the other waterfowl on the lake. There were hundreds of them, but they just didn't get the attention of the swans. For one thing, they were small and stayed a little further out. I don't know much about water fowl, but I believe these are ring-necked ducks. 

I spent quite a bit of time there; watching the swans and taking way too many photos that I now have to sort through! Although it was very windy and cold, it was peaceful. Honestly, what could be more peaceful than watching graceful waterfowl on a beautiful lake. I have made a note to myself on my calendar to go see the swans in November, December or January, not February. I want to see a lake full of them next time.