By Marlene Hardick
A fellow member of Wild Warner told me that there is an intermingled flock of Canadian Geese and Swans on Lake Mendota. I assume that these are Tundra Swans, but they could be Trumpeter Swans or Mute Swans.
For weeks, flocks of swans have been flying over Madison. For several days, they have been seen from the beaches of Lake Mendota–Warner Beach, Gov. Nelson Swimming Beach, and probably others.
Today, Wednesday, December 14 at 4pm, I went to Warner Park Beach. I saw little, but out in the fog I could hear the calls of geese and swans. I could not identify the species of swans.
It seems very late in the year for this migration, but it is a warm fall/winter so far. I will come back in the morning, crossing my fingers that they are still there. So often I miss the migration.
The edge of the lake has a thin glaze of ice.Across the lake came the sounds of drumming, maybe from Memorial Union. Standing on green grass by the lake, there was a mystical, otherworld quality to the almost night.
If I was not a member of Wild Warner, I would have missed this. If you are not yet a member, you are missing out. Become a sustaining member for only $5 per year, or an active voting member, starting at $10 per year. Help us save the meadows, the Lagoon, and the Lake.
Photos by Jim Carrier. Here is a little movie he made of ice forming:
http://youtu.be/6PwLDfTHnHs
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