Swans continue journey northwards

Tundra swans in flight

The majority of swans have left Marsh Lake and are now on their way northwards to their breeding grounds in Alaska and elsewhere throughout the Yukon.  What a thrill it has been to photograph them while they were here on their brief layover.  I'll post a few of my favourite images shortly.

Now that the swans are gone its time for the Sandhill Cranes to take centre stage.

Speaking of migrants, I heard my first Robin of the year singing his tiny heart out the other night.  Welcome back!

Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Cheers,

Claus

   

Swan Report April 11, 2012

Trumpeter swan flying over the Tagish bridge

Good morning from the Yukon,
The weather continues to impress us with sun, +10 degree temps and endless blue skies.
Here is today's swan report from the Yukon Department of Environment:

Last night there were 430 Trumpeter Swans at Marsh Lake.  The Canada Geese have arrived as well.
No new info from Tagish.



Photo info:  Same as previous two posts

Swan Report April 10, 2012

Here are the latest numbers for April 10th

Marsh Lake has recorded 492 Trumpeter Swans, 18 Tundra Swans
Tagish Lake has reported 360 Trumpeter Swans

New arrivals include Greater White-fronted Goose and the Ring-necked duck.

Ahh, they are back.....

The Swans of Tagish

Observing and photographing wildlife along the shores of the Tagish River (often referred to as the Tagish Narrows) could not have been any better than it was during last weekend's Easter holiday.  Excellent weather conditions, blue skies and a thousand swans rewarded those who took the time to travel the 100km distance from Whitehorse.

During the holiday weekend biologists had observed well over 1000 trumpeter swans, 400 tundra swans and scores of migratory ducks swimming and feeding along the shores of the Narrows.  Thousands more could be spotted at Swan Haven on Marsh Lake and along the open stretches of Kluane Lake.  From what I understand the bridge over the Teslin River at Johnsons Crossing was also a popular spot to photograph swans.

Joining the swans were wigeons, pintails, goldeneyes, buffleheads, mergansers, green-wing teals and mallards.  Numerous bald eagles and northern harrier hawks patrolled the skies over the waters in search of unsuspecting prey. A pair of river otters also playfully swam alongside the icy shores in search of food and a resting place.

A handful of international photographers had also taken up temporary residence along the Narrows during the weekend.  Photographers of every skill-level stood for hours along the shores of the Narrows or on the bridge hoping to capture their prized shot as the swans flew overhead or swam by.

Overcast skies, a steady breeze and chilly temperatures dominated much of Good Friday.  Weather conditions improved remarkably on Saturday morning when brilliant blue skies and plenty of sun provided ideal conditions to photograph the swans.  The clouds and haze had returned by Sunday afternoon.

My most successful shots from the previous three weekends were those from Saturday morning's photo-shoot.  The crisp blue skies were the perfect backdrop for the snowy-white feathers of the swans as they flew overhead - I could not have wished for a better day.  Sadly, I only had a few hours with the swans that day as I had to return to Pelly Crossing for a few hours.  Wish I had more time as the skies were not as blue on Sunday.

My camera of choice this past weekend was the Nikon D300 (for its digital crop factor).  The Nikor 300mm f/2.8 lens (with a 1.7x teleconverter) was my principal lens for the swan shots.  Aperture priority was used, the continuous high shutter command was set ON as was the VR (vibration reduction).  With the bright skies an ISO of 250 (underexposed by 1 stop) was all that was needed to capture sharp images.  Most of the swan flyover images were handheld.

Well over 600 images were shot during the course of the weekend, of which a dozen or so were 'keepers'.

What a stellar weekend!  Life has finally returned to the Yukon!!

Join me in the coming days as I share my top 10 ten tips to successfully photographing swans.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world,

Cheers
Claus

The Real Swan Lake

Images with D300,  Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 with 1.5x extension, f/7, 500ASA 

Hi again from the Yukom, home to over 2,000 swans!

After a very long winter the swans have finally started to arrive en masse.  For the next few weeks scores of Trumpet and Tundra Swans will congregate in the rivers, lakes and marshes around the Whitehorse area for a chance to rest, feed and gather strength before continuing their journey further north to their breeding grounds in the High Arctic.

What a sight it is to see so many swans gracefully navigate the icy shores of Tagish Lake (2hrs south of  Whitehorse).  Most are in pairs, while there are a handful of what I think are family groupings with last years brood still sporting dusty grey feathers.  So far most swans are hanging around in the few stretches of open water available - a narrow stretch at Marsh Lake (1hr south of Whitehorse), a larger opening between the river that connects Marsh Lake with Tagish Lake and behind the dam on Marsh Lake (viewing accessible from the Alaska Highway).

Next week Yukoner's will honour their feathered guests with a week-long Celebration of Swans event mainly centred at Swan Haven, an interpretation centre at Marsh Lake.  Interpreters will be on hand to explain the natural history of the swans and other migratory waterfowl.  Unfortunately for photographers, the swans are resting at a considerable distance from shore. 

I wanted to see if I could find a spot to photograph the swans up close and in relative isolation from the hundreds of birdwatchers who have also flocked to Marsh Lake and its surroundings.  After a couple of hours of driving I found myself on the shores of a small river that connects Marsh Lake with Tagish Lake.  There I was pleasantly surprised to find at least 100 swans quietly carrying out their daily business.  It was tricky to find a clearing that afforded an undisturbed view of the swans.  After a bit of bushwhacking I did manage to find several vantage points with clear views of the swans below.  So neat to listen to them communicate with each other - it was as if they were all playing individual French horns.   

Rubber boots, snow pants (to keep your butt dry when sitting in the snow) and lite gloves are highly recommended if you plan on spending any time photographing these characters.  Patience is also in order as they constantly move about and lighting conditions can be tricky.  It is also a good idea to bring along some bear spray as the grizzlies have started to emerge from their winter dens - and I would guess they are a tad hungry :)

I'm heading back there today to take a few more pictures before making my way back home.  I'll post more tomorrow with locations and photo details.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Cheers,

Claus