I had resigned myself today to not birding as we are packing and preparing to fly off tomorrow. I declined an invite from Bruce to chase the Tennessee Warbler and other FOY birds in SW WA. Then this morning I learned of the Whooper Swan only 90 miniutes north at teh Monroe Prison Farm Pond in Snohomish County.
Wooper Swan is not just a lifer WA bird, it’s a lifer world bird. This species is found in the northern parts of Europe and Asia, and rarely in the lower-48.
I had a lunch committment, so after lunch I skipped off to chase the bird. After some minor panic as I looked over maybe 250 Trumpeter Swans and 1 Tundra Swan on the main road, I was told of the proper place by Brian Bell and another birder, and dashed over to get killer views from near the farm pond.
The big yellow base of the bill, the large size, more or less the same as the TRSWs. It was an impressive bird, and a pretty easy lifer right here in WA!