This Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus is a bird that is usually found in the northern parts of Europe and Asia, and only rarely in the U.S. other than on the far western Alaskan islands. Still it is a big migratory bird, with a tendency for vagrancy, and one showed up in Snohomish County, Washington this week.
The chase was on and I pulled up at the Monroe Prison Farm Ponds where several other birders were helpful in pointing out this large swan, the size of our common Trumpeter Swan, with the big yellow patch on the bill.
This bird was a lifer for me, i.e. a bird I'd never seen before.
I noted a field mark not mentioned in the field guides. Check out the yellow on the bottom of the bill in this photo.
For birders a lifer is always an exciting happening, and so yesterday was a very good day for this birder.
Good birding.