{"id":136109,"date":"2024-11-01T02:41:43","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T07:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=136109"},"modified":"2025-07-07T11:36:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T16:36:18","slug":"memories-of-tundra-swans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/11\/01\/memories-of-tundra-swans\/","title":{"rendered":"Memories Of Tundra Swans"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few days ago, an old Facebook memory showed up where I shared that I had seen my first of season Tundra Swans and I realized I won’t be seeing them this year.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a good thing I took as many photos of the swans as I did when I lived in Utah, sometimes to the point of what others might consider “excessive.” Not that I care what anyone else thinks about that. I do what I do because I want to.<\/p>\n

\"TundraTundra Swans standing on ice \u2013 Nikon D500, f11, 1\/1250, ISO 1250, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

But the memories of the Tundra Swans in Utah will stick with me as long as I live. I loved hearing the first Tundra Swan calls of the season, and seeing large flocks of these white waterfowl on the wing brought me joy.<\/p>\n

Photographing the swans? That was simply magical.<\/p>\n

The calls of Tundra Swans<\/span><\/a> touch something deep inside me, something wild, untamed, and free.<\/p>\n

So yes, I’ll miss those Tundra Swans I used to see and photograph in Utah. I still have hundreds of images of these swans I haven\u2019t processed yet, and I\u2019d bet there are a few gems among them I can share later.<\/p>\n

But…<\/p>\n

I’m looking forward to the winter waterfowl I’ll be seeing here, including blizzards of Snow and Ross’s Geese that will fly into Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge very soon. I already saw my first Snow Goose at the refuge last week.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a chance I\u2019ll also get to photograph some Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks again. I used to see them in Florida.<\/p>\n

And who knows, I might even spot a Tundra Swan at the refuge too. I’ve found a few rarities during my days in the field! That can happen again.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to see more of my Tundra Swan photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few days ago, an old Facebook memory showed up where I shared that I had seen my first of season Tundra Swans and I realized I won’t be seeing them this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":136106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[124,27,1148,158,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-tundra-swans","category-utah"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/tundra-swans-utah-winter-ice-mia-mcpherson-0701.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-zpj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":96615,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/10\/23\/it-is-time-to-look-and-listen-for-tundra-swans-in-northern-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":136109,"position":0},"title":"It Is Time To Look And Listen For Tundra Swans In Northern Utah","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning I noticed in my Facebook memories that I saw and heard my first of season Tundra Swans at Bear River MBR on this date in 2015 and that made me happy.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two adult Tundra Swans flying over wetlands, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tundra-swans-bear-river-mbr-flying-mia-mcpherson-2134.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tundra-swans-bear-river-mbr-flying-mia-mcpherson-2134.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tundra-swans-bear-river-mbr-flying-mia-mcpherson-2134.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/tundra-swans-bear-river-mbr-flying-mia-mcpherson-2134.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":120623,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/02\/07\/tundra-swans-and-precious-memories\/","url_meta":{"origin":136109,"position":1},"title":"Tundra Swans And Precious Memories","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Tundra Swans and memories are on my mind this morning. Six years ago, I sat in my Jeep watching hundreds of Tundra Swans at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature and adult Tundra Swans flying over the wetlands at Bear River MBR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/tundra-swans-flight-february-7-2018-mia-mcpherson-0182.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/tundra-swans-flight-february-7-2018-mia-mcpherson-0182.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/tundra-swans-flight-february-7-2018-mia-mcpherson-0182.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/tundra-swans-flight-february-7-2018-mia-mcpherson-0182.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":99444,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/01\/29\/tundra-swans-on-ice-and-open-water\/","url_meta":{"origin":136109,"position":2},"title":"Tundra Swans On Ice And Open Water","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I haven't yet gotten the photos of Tundra Swans this year that I would like to take but that won't stop me from sharing some that I have taken this winter.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tundra Swans on ice and open water, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/tundra-swans-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-9837.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/tundra-swans-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-9837.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/tundra-swans-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-9837.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/tundra-swans-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-9837.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":110686,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/03\/03\/big-beautiful-tundra-swans-of-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":136109,"position":3},"title":"Big & Beautiful: Tundra Swans of Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 3, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning I spent time with a flock of big, beautiful Tundra Swans at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. I loved every moment that I had with the swans.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Seventy-six Tundra Swans and the Promontory Mountains, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/tundra-swan-adults-and-immature-76-marsh-mia-mcpherson-0865.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/tundra-swan-adults-and-immature-76-marsh-mia-mcpherson-0865.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/tundra-swan-adults-and-immature-76-marsh-mia-mcpherson-0865.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I can barely wait to hear and see my first of season Tundra Swans and to see them on the wing over the marshes that surround the Great Salt Lake.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult and immature Tundra Swan fly by, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-adult-and-immature-flight-mia-mcpherson-0178.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/tundra-swan-adult-and-immature-flight-mia-mcpherson-0178.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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