Trumpeter Swan

On my way to Newport yesterday I stopped to see some of the Trumpeter Swans that spend the winter in the Willamette Valley. In the photo there are four, with three of the smaller Tundra Swans in the foreground. Knowing that the Trumpeter appeared to be headed for extinction only a few decades ago adds extra significance to the experience of watching these magnificent birds with the 9 1/2 ft. wingspan.