The Tundra swans are once again on Lake Mendota here in Madison, Wisconsin. They are very large, have a long neck, and are all white except for a black bill. They have migrated from their breeding home in the Arctic. Every winter they come; in the last seven years we’ve lived here, I documented first hearing their raucous bugling sounds late at night on these dates:
• 2020 – December 13
• 2019 – November 11
• 2018 – November 9
• 2017 – December 1
• 2016 – December 2
• 2015 – December 29
• 2014 – November 14
The Tundra swans usually congregate near Governor’s Island, a small green space nearby that isn’t an island anymore. Canada geese and Mallard ducks also join them and it can get truly crowded and the honking and bugling make for one crazy gathering.
Tundra swans form life-long pairs and are together year-round. They nest on the arctic tundra. They are North America’s most numerous swan species. Here is what a large flock sounds like.
Are there alligators in Lake Mendota?
It’s the end of December, with a new year approaching. Many people are looking to 2021 with hope – hope for positive change in their lives. And many people just want to forget 2020. As I reflect on 2020, I can, fortunately, say my entire family is healthy. It was frightening for me in the early days of the pandemic and also when Wisconsin was a hot spot in October and November. And, there were – and are – some problems concerning employment, schooling, and adjustment, but overall I feel incredibly grateful for how well my family fared.

Common tansy is a non-native invasive plant! It can displace native vegetation. And here I thought it was a pretty prairie wildflower.