By Sally Siko

One of the things I look forward to the most year after year is the return of the large flocks of Tundra Swans in eastern NC.
Thousands of these majestic white birds are flying in to spend the winter months in the fields, lakes and impoundments of our coastal counties.

It’s quite a sight to stand on the shoreline of a lake and see so many of them all in one place. Yes they are indeed beautiful but gosh they are a noisy and rambunctious bunch lol!
Large groups of Tundra Swans may be best defined as thinly controlled chaos so it’s not uncommon to see scuffles like the one pictured here break out within the flock.
I photographed these two pairs brawling this past weekend and boy it was as entertaining to watch as any prize fight haha 🙂

When they’re not fighting each other, Tundra Swans nest in northern Alaska and in Canada’s Northwest Territories, Nunavut, northeastern Manitoba, northern Ontario, and northwestern Quebec.
Interestingly, these guys break off into 2 distinct groups of eastern and western migrating populations when traveling between breeding and wintering grounds.
Swans that nest east of Point Hope in northern Alaska winter on the Atlantic coast, while birds breeding from Point Hope south & west winter along the Pacific.
It seems odd to me for the birds in the Coleville River region of Alaska to make such a long trip east which spans across the entire United States when a straight shot flight south to California is quite a bit closer.
Whatever the reason, I’m glad they are here!

You can find these beauties in southeastern North Carolina from November through early March in with peak numbers occurring in January.
Look for them in open marshes, lakes, shallow ponds and estuaries in fresh and brackish waters. They are also easily spotted feeding in grain fields in our agricultural areas too.
So cool!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5