All of these things, people say, are the immediate effects of global warming.
Why, then, has a small flock of swans made a manmade lake in New Territory, a community in the suburbs southwest of Houston, their home?
Don’t believe me? Take a look at the photos I shot of these 6 Trumpeter Swans today with my friend Ann.
Note the black marking between the bill and up to the eye. It exactly matches the markings found on a Trumpeter Swan
The photo I took that is posted below takes in the whole flock. See? Six of them!
Ann didn’t know what type they are, but I got online and saw the key markings of the three North American Swans, Trumpeter, Mute and Tundra and have come to the conclusion that the swans are Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator). Check out the comparison chart here.
Now here’s the kicker. Trumpeter swans don’t range this far south. At right is the map of their known ranges. At most trumpeter swans get as far south as northern Oklahoma in winter. Here it is nearly spring and we have 6 trumpeter swans thumbing their, well . . . thumbing their bills at the bird books.
I think I made the point in another posting about global warming that climatic change was the norm on our Earth. I think the point here is that climatic change is chaotic and unpredictable. If global warming is a reality, and I think it is, predicting what happens in our time-frame in light of global warming is anything but easy.
On another note, what do you think is the New Territory Homeowner’s Association’s take on their new residents? Ann tells me that they see the swans as dirty big birds that are going to load the lake and shores with feces. They are discouraging residents from feeding the birds – something that we witnessed wasn’t happening twice within an hour.
And yes, New Territory, most of which is in Fort Bend County Precinct 4026, voted 68% Republican in statewide races compared to 32% Democratic in the '06 general election.
Republicans, apparently, don't like swans.
