Family Outing

Though not a technically fine capture, this photo is an absolute thrill for me.

The swans were on the other side of a pond In a wildlife refuge in Wyoming, with the kiddies carefully lined up between momma and poppa. I grabbed the shot, hand-held, with my Sigma 150-500 fully extended.

The Trumpeter Swan is a species that was once endangered and now recovering. It is not often seen in the continental U.S. - just in a few pockets. Most of their territory is in Alaska and Western Canada. So to see not one, but a family, was a big deal. Having the family heading out on the pond all in row doubled the thrill.

Trumpeter Swans are the U.S.'s biggest native waterfowl, stretching to 6 feet in length and weighing more than 25 pounds. Getting airborne requires about a 100-yard runway. Despite their size, the species is as elegant as any swan, with a graceful neck and snowy-white plumage. They breed on wetlands in remote Alaska, Canada, and the northwestern U.S., and winter on ice-free coastal and inland waters. (From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website)