"O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen - even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!" Psalm 8
The Trumpeter Swans stopped by this morning, beautiful and elegant birds. In the early 1900's they were considered endangered. Biologists then said that only 69 trumpeter swans were known to exist in the wild. Back then it was not known that Alaska had these large, white birds too. People in the Lower 48 had been hunting them so extensively for their meat and feathers any further hunting of swans was prohibited.
In 1990 the census of this graceful bird indicated that over 13,000 trumpeters are in Alaska (80% of the world's population) and their numbers continue to increase. Today some of the increase decided to fly in and grace our lake view. I hurried down to bring them some of our bread.
One of them didn't take too kindly that I was close to her/his babies and began to hiss at me while walking out of the water - even with Chevy sitting right there. Now --- that is one brave parent!
The swans stop by here in early spring on their way up to the top of Alaska, which I call the North Slope regions of Alaska. They raise their young there and then while on their way back South they will stop by once more.
During the winter months they hang out along coastal waters from Cordova, Alaska to the Columbia River in Washington State. (Information is from Alaska Department of Fish and Game.)
Good bye Beautiful Swans! See you all again next spring, if God should tarry.
10 comments:
I don't see the pictures of the swans.
I always look for them when we go to Yellowstone! If you're lucky, you get to see them gliding along on some of the lakes or even on the Lewis River!
Connie
I am so sad to say that my computer did not bring up the pictures of the swans but you have given a very good description of them I feel like I have seen them through your eyes.
Hope you are having a wonderful day and God is blessing you. love from your Texas friend, connie
Hi BBF and Thoughtful Connie,
I can see the pictures, and now my visitors can't! This is ridiculous.
I will try to repost the pictures and see if Blogger will wake up.
I see swans! Yippee!
Connie
How fantastic! I love the shot of the swans and your dog together. Thanks for sharing Alaska with us. :~)
Connie, I am glad you can see them. They are so beautiful!
e-Mom, Chevy wanted to go into the water and have a closer encounter but was a good boy and laid down when I told him to. I think he was jealous of the bread I gave to the birds!
I love the 2nd photo of the swans!! It is fabulous. I've never seen so many so close together. I mostly see them, bottoms up anyway!! :)
I think it would be a nice thing to come visit you! We could sit outside and chat, watch the swans or the mooseys and enjoy your beautiful surroundings. I've already decided that if Doug has to come back to Houston and you get to go again, I'm making the 5 hour drive down to Houston for lunch! Granted, I'll have to leave before 6 AM but it would be fun!
Connie
I came back for another look, I CAN SEE THE BEAUTIFUL SWANS. I just love them. I wish I could be there to see them with you. Is it cold there yet? We have had a little cool air come through. I got down to 75%, I think. It feels heavenly. See you later. connie
Have a happy weekend. connie fromTexas
Jo, this was a family of swans and I think they were quite proud of successfully raising FIVE and were determined not to have any harm come to them from me, even though I was there to feed them.
BBF, it would be nice to meet you if I ever get down there. Doug has been to Houston already since I was there but without me, and I even gave him big puppy dog eyes while I asked, What about checking on my pool? and my hot tub? Didn't get me there again.
Thoughtful Connie, it is cooler here. We have been in the low 30s and below freezing at night. Yet it has been a long Indian Summer for us. It would be fun to feed the swans with you!
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