We went to the North Carolina Outer Banks area during the first part of February to see the Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus). They breed in the far north in the coastal plains of Alaska and Canada, and nearly all of the Eastern population (about 120,000 birds) comes to the coastal areas of North Carolina and Virginia during the winter. (Note: if you follow my posts on Facebook, be sure to click on the link at the bottom to see the rest of the post and more pictures!)

We were lucky enough to see lots of them, along with plenty of other waterfowl.

Some were flying about. Their wings make a characteristic whistling noise when they are flying, so they are sometimes called “Whistling Swans”. 

Others were talking loudly to each other. Tundra swans mate for life, so perhaps this is a family discussion.