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Articles written by Elaine Caton


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  • Summer of Swans

    Elaine Caton, Blackfoot Challenge|Updated Aug 31, 2022

    This has turned out to be a banner year for trumpeter swans in the Blackfoot watershed. The first swan sightings were reported in March, when swans began returning from their wintering grounds in Southwest Montana and Idaho. Spring and fall are challenging times of year to positively identify trumpeters because there are also tundra swans migrating through our area in those seasons. But by late April the tundra swans are headed to the arctic where they breed, and our resident...

  • Swan Update: Keep Calm and Paddle On

    Elaine Caton, Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program Coordinator - Blackfoot Challenge|Updated Jan 27, 2021

    In spite of a worldwide pandemic and all the associated changes to human life that have gone with it, I'm happy to report that our Trumpeter Swans have kept calm and carried on with normal swan life in the Blackfoot. Although we only had six pairs of swans attempt to nest this year (following eight attempts in 2019), five of those nests were successful, hatching a total of 20 cygnets. And all 20 cygnets survived to fledging (flying) age! One hundred percent fledging success...