Photograph by Margaret Smith
2025 TTSS News Archive
News Highlights from 2025
MINNESOTA: The Mississippi River near Monticello, the Otter Tail River in Fergus Falls, and the Minnesota River Valley National Wildlife Refuge in the Twin Cities rank among popular viewing areas, but they may be sighted on any generous stretch of open water statewide. Apps such as eBird and iNaturalist track recent swan sightings.
ARKANSAS: When Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis visited Magness Lake this weekend, he saw plenty of swans, more than a few ring-neck ducks and even a few seagulls paddling about in the water. As he stood among a few other birders, he captured the haunting sound of the winter visitors.
PENNSYLVANIA: A rare and exciting bird visitor has excited residents in Pennsylvania. Read more...
In February 2023, a dozen swans were captured and received GPS collars at Oregon’s Summer Lake Wildlife Area and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Biologists wanted to know where these swans spend the summer, their migration routes in spring and fall, and if they raised families.
This webinar highlights how and where the swans were captured and collared. Then we explore some of the results, teaching you how to use GoogleEarth and the GPS data to discover:
• How to see the wetlands where the swans were captured and collared- from a bird’s eye view to a landscape street view.
• How to do simple calculations like a biologist to determine flight speed, temperatures, distances and altitude.
WISCONSIN: “Yesterday we had an unusual request for assistance. Members of the public witnessed a swan that was frozen to the ice on the St. Croix River. The local conservation warden was unavailable, and not wanting citizens to try and perform a rescue themselves, Hudson Fire sent a crew to help out. We were successful in bringing the swan to shore to receive care from citizens. This is not something we would normally do, but risk the vs reward in preventing someone from the public falling through the ice was worth it. Remember, ice is never completely safe, especially in the river where the currents are always moving.”
