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Photo courtesy of Travis Novitsky

“Trumpeter Swans came swimming out from the wild rice and passed right in front of the canoe about a hundred feet away from us,” said Travis Novitsky who had his camera ready to take some great pictures of these curious, elegant birds. Averaging 26 pounds, male Trumpeter swans need about 100 yards of open water to run across to generate enough speed for flight. Trumpeter swans pair up when they are three or four years old, staying together throughout the year. Most, but not all pairs mate for life. They warm their eggs with their webbed feet and although their legs are short in comparison to their bodies, they can walk over one mile, even with their cygnets if they have to.