Monthly Updates Written by Gary Ivey
May 2023 – I am excited to offer an update on the locations of seven Trumpeter Swans marked on Benson Pond with GPS-GSM neck collars to track their migration. Two of the collars have not transmitted data since late March, before they left Malheur Refuge. Here’s a summary of the travels of the other 5:
Neck Collar Code @10 – This female moved from the Benson Pond/Boca Lake area, up to Buena Vista area in mid-March. On March 23, she left the Refuge and flew NE, stopping for about an hour at Dry Lake, near the Round Barn. She then continued ENE to Idaho, crossing the Snake River near Weiser and spent that night on a small pond near Paddock Valley Reservoir. The next morning, she flew NE, crossing over Kamiah and continuing to spend that night on a small reservoir (Lower Crow Reservoir) on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. On March 25, she resumed flying NE, crossing the Rockies at Glacier National Park and entering Alberta. She continued on to spend several days on a small wetland complex about 5 miles NW of Mountain View, Alberta. On April 1, she traveled north to settle on some small wetlands about 6 miles west of Claresholm, AB, where she stayed until April 9. She then moved north to some small wetlands about 3 miles SE of Aldersyde, AB where she stayed until April 13. She then flew approximately 170 miles NNW to spend one night on Shiningbank Lake, north of Haddock, AB. On April 14, she flew approximately 200 miles north to a small wetland about 8 miles east of Manning, AB. She then traveled about 135 miles NW to arrive at a small wetland complex about 5 miles NE of Chateh, AB where she has remained to date. That site is approximately 1100 miles due north of Malheur Refuge.
Neck Collar Code @11 – After spending about a month in the Benson Pond/Boca Lake area, this adult female moved up the valley to use Buena Vista Pond and to some sloughs west of Rattlesnake Butte on March 15. On the 17th, it moved to Dry Lake north of the Round Barn and returned to the Diamond Valley fields on the refuge. On March 18, it flew east, up Diamond Valley and crossed Steens Mountain, arriving at Mann Lake at the east base of Steens. The next day, she briefly visited Dowell Reservoir, in the boondocks, north of Crowley before flying about 120 miles to a small, unnamed wetland near Willowcreek (north of Vale, OR) where it apparently spent a night. Then she made a huge jump on March 21, flying all night into the panhandle of Idaho, to Harrison Slough near Coeur d’ Alene about 4 in the morning of March 22. Later that day she flew east to spend the night on the Clark’s Fork River near Plain, Montana. The next day, she crossed the Rockies over Glacier National Park and arrived in southern Alberta, spending time in a couple small wetlands south of Brocket on March 29 where she remained until after dark on April 6. That night, she flew north, departing at 10PM and arriving at 9AM the next day at a small wetland about 3 miles NE of Airdrie, AB, where we received the last data transmission on April 8. She has likely moved to a site with no cell tower coverage.
Neck Collar Code @13 – This adult female departed Benson Pond on March 23 and stopped briefly on Malheur Lake before moving to some apparently flooded hayfields about 10 miles SE of Buchanan where she remained until March 30. On that date, she moved NE to the headwaters of the Powder River near Keating, OR where she stayed for one day. She then flew east around the south end of the Wallowa Mountains and then north to spend a couple of days on wetlands near Zimwalt, OR. On April 3, she moved to a small pond about 2.5 miles SE of Wallowa, OR where she spent the night. She then flew across the north end of the Wallowa Mountains and turned south to arrive at wetlands near North Powder, OR. Data shows she has remained there through April 22 (last date data was transmitted).
Neck Collar Code @17 – This adult male spent over a month in the south Blitzen Valley where he was captured, and on March 21 he moved up to spend a day on Malheur Lake. The next day he spent time using flooded farm fields, north of Crane, before moving to Idaho on the 23rd. He flew over Weiser Idaho and spent the night at Mann Creek Reservoir north of there. The next day, he traveled to a small pond west of Indian Valley. On March 25 he traveled over 250 miles to arrive at Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge in Flathead Valley, Montana. His last location was in the Flathead Valley on March 27. No new data has been received from this bird in April. He has likely moved to a site without cell tower coverage.
Neck Collar Code @19 – This adult female remained in the south Blitzen Valley near the capture site until March 18 when she moved about 120 miles ENE to a small pond about 13 miles west of Weiser, ID. The next day, she moved about 230 miles north to Windy Bay in Harrison Slough, south of Coeur d’ Alene. On March 20, she moved east about 80 miles to spend the night on Clark Fork River about 4 miles NW of Thompson Falls, MT. She then moved about 40 miles east to a series of small wetlands located about 7 miles east of Hot Springs, MT where she stayed for seven days. On March 27 she moved about 80 miles north to Lake MacDonald, along the west slope of the Rockies. The next day, she crossed the Rockies through Glacier National Park and flew north, about 45 miles to a small wetland located a couple of miles from the north end of Waterton Lake, AB. That night, she departed that site and flew at night, moving about 60 miles north to a small wetland about a mile west of Slavely, AB. On March 31, she moved about 15 miles north to a small wetland located 2 miles NE of Nanton, AB where she spent two days. On April 2, she moved about 5 miles NW to another small wetland. The next day, she moved about 10 miles north to use a couple of small wetlands located about 2 miles SE of High River, AB. On April 5, she moved about 40 miles north to several small wetlands located about 5 miles east of Calgary, AB where she stayed for three days. On April 8 she flew about 45 miles north to a series of small wetlands located about 6 miles SE of Olds, AB, where she stayed for two days. On April 10, she moved about 38 miles north to use some small wetlands located a couple of miles SE of Sylvan Lake, AB for two days. On April 12, she moved about 100 miles NNW to spend the night on a large pond, located about 10 miles west of Cynthia, AB. The next day, she moved about 230 miles NE to use a series of wetlands located about 5 miles west of Hythe, AB. She was last recorded there on May 1.
April 2023 – Last month, I reported on our capture of seven Trumpeter Swans on Benson Pond and fitting them with GPS-GSM neck collars to track their migration. Five of the seven are still in the south Blitzen Valley and two are on the move, as detailed below.
Neck Collar Code @11 – After spending about a month in the Benson Pond/Boca Lake area, this adult female Trumpeter Swan moved up the valley to use Buena Vista Pond and to some sloughs west of Rattlesnake Butte on March 15. On the 17th, it moved to Dry Lake north of the Round Barn and returned to the Diamond Valley fields on the refuge. On March 18, it flew east, up Diamond Valley and crossed Steens Mountain, arriving at Mann Lake at the east base of Steens. The next day, she briefly visited Dowell Reservoir, in the boondocks, north of Crowley before flying about 120 miles to a small, unnamed wetland near Willowcreek (north of Vale, OR) where it apparently spent a night. Then it made a huge jump on March 21, flying all night into the panhandle of Idaho, to Harrison Slough near Coeur d’ Alene about 4 in the morning of March 22. Later that day she flew east to spend the night on the Clark’s Fork River near Plain, Montana. The next day, she crossed the Rockies over Glacier National Park and arrived in southern Alberta, spending time in a couple small wetlands south of Brocket on March 29.
Neck Collar Code @17 – This adult male Trumpeter Swan also spent over a month in the south Blitzen Valley where he was captured, and on March 21 he moved up to spend a day on Malheur Lake. The next day he spent time using flooded farm fields, north of Crane, before moving to Idaho on the 23rd. He flew over Weiser Idaho and spent the night at Mann Creek Reservoir north of there. The next day, he traveled to a small pond west of Indian Valley. On March 25 he traveled over 250 miles to arrive at Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge in the Flathead Valley, Montana.
