The odyssey begins in March, on my way to the Seacoast. The last time a Trumpeter Swan was seen in New Hampshire was way back in the 1700s, before most of them were all but exterminated from North America, which occurred between the 1600 and 1800s. They were hunted for meat, skins that were used in powder puffs and for their white feathers used in quill pens. According to Wikipedia, The Hudson’s Bay Company killed 17,671 swans between 1853 and 1877 alone. By 1900, the remainder of them had all flown west, never to return. Until now. This is the big news at the Audubon this spring and amongst birders in New Hampshire. A Trumpeter Swan is being seen for the first time at the Abe Emerson Marsh in Candia. This is wonderful news. I must get out to see it, before it flies away. It takes me at least…
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