 Local artist, Stephen Voight paints Monticello swans in flight. Photo courtesy of K. Laven, Wright County Journal Press |
Monticello Swan Images
(NOTE: Scroll down the following web page to get to the swan photos by Dave.) |
Local photographer, Dave Sanders has spent countless hours shooting Monticello Trumpeter Swans with his zoom lens and digital camera.Read these news articles about Monticello Trumpeter Swans:
[Note: some links are PDF files and require Adobe Acrobat to view.]
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Monticello Swans adapt to frozen river (WCCO TV report Jan. 21, 2007)
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Swan Watching Courtesy (Monticello Times, Jan. 18, 2006)
Monticello. . . a seasonal home for the Trumpeter Swans
People are talking about Monticello. More than 700 elegant trumpeter swans visit the warm open waters of the Mississippi River at Monticello, Minnesota. Swan viewing opportunities peaks between mid-November through March. The Monticello Chamber of Commerce has recently adopted the city’s Swan Park to expand swan viewing opportunities. A local Monticello resident living on Mississippi Drive feeds the swans daily from 11 a.m.-1p.m. with nearly 900 pounds of food each day. The ‘Swan Lady,’ as she has been affectionately called, will be feted as ‘Citizen of the Year’, at this year’s 27th annual River Fest community celebration to honor her efforts to keep the swans coming back to Monticello. Swan counts were reported as high as 750 birds during the 2002-03 season. They enjoy the warm open waters located here due to the fact that the nuclear power plant is a constant provider of warm water to this Mississippi River area. Visit the Monticello Arts Council’s website to view a swan slide show or enter your own Monticello swan photography at: www.MonticelloArts.org
A larger than life stainless steel swan sculpture adorns the outside lawn and landscaping at the Monticello Community Center located at 505 Walnut Street. This commissioned piece of artwork was created by local Monticello artist, Parker McDonald, in honor of the trumpeter swans who grace Monticello with their presence each year.
The trumpeter swan is a modern-day success story. These majestic birds were once hunted for their skin, feathers and meat and by the early 1920’s, were in serious trouble and close to vanishing. Laws were passed to protect the birds and additional programs have brought the trumpeter swan back from the brink of extinction with numbers increasing as high as 16,000.
The trumpeter swan is the largest flying bird in North America with a wing span of 71/2 to 8 feet and can weigh up to 35 pounds. These beautiful and graceful, pure white birds have ebony black bills, legs and feet marking them with a contrasted beauty all their own. They earned their name due to their distinctive “trumpet-like” sound, caused by a loop in their larynx.
The trumpeter swans are a sight few people see in a lifetime and Monticello counts itself blessed by their presence – even if their visit is for just a few months of the year. Photographers, bird enthusiasts, visitors and community members can enjoy the swan’s natural beauty as they rest easy and feed on the banks of the Mississippi River located in Monticello, Minnesota.
(For more information
about the swans, visit the Trumpeter Swan Society
web site at: www.taiga.net/swans)