Sightings

• May 12 - swimming with 5 others in the open lake near the marsh (Stuart and Laurie Kidd / Ron & Carol Cooke)
• May 24_02 - separated from the other 5 swans and living by himself in the far eastern portion of the marsh.
• June 2002: Trumpeter 668 (m) - died in Callander Bay Marsh, Lake Nipissing from lead poisoning (Photo: Dean M. Chriss).

Discovering Callander Marsh and calling it home (spring / summer 2002)
Trumpeters 667 to 672 (excluding 668 which died in June of 2002)

• May 12_02 - swimming with 5 others in the open lake near the marsh (Stuart and Laurie Kidd / Ron & Carol Cooke).
• May 24_02 - spotted with other 4 trumpeter swans in North & centre area of Callander Bay Marsh.
• Aug. 26_02 - swans in two groups (2 in marsh) and 3 near Gauthier's Bay. First report of actual flying. (Ron and Carol Cooke).
• Aug. 31_02 - swans in a group of 4 near Gauthier's Bay, one by himself some distance in the marsh (Ron and Carol Cooke).
• Sept. 4 - swans flying, loner getting close to the lake area of Gauthier's Bay (Mike Brown)
• Sept. 8_02 - 4 swans flying in unison in the Gauthier's Bay area. Seem to fly just to have fun and explore (Lois Filion)
• Sept12_02 - 4 swans flying in front of LaVase River, 5th still swimming in small creek leading to lagoon (Ron & Carol Cooke)
• Sept. 19_02 - spotted with other 4 swimming near mouth of LaVase River (Stuart Kidd).
• Oct 29_02 - spotted swimming in Callander lagoon with the other four (Ron & Carol Cooke)
• Nov. 4_02 - spotted swimming with other 4 on the South Shore near Lonely Island (Barbara Bain).

The first migration and wintering over (Dec. 2002 - April 2003)

• Dec. 11/12_02: Trumpeters 669 (f), 670 (m), 671(f) and 672 (m) spotted at Wye Marsh.
• Jan 12_03: Trumpeter 671 (f) spotted at Wye Marsh (Photo: 'Flying swans' by Bev Kingdon)
• Mar 4_03: Trumpeters 669 (f), 670 (m), 671(f) and 672 (m) spotted at Wye Marsh.
• Trumpeter 667 still unaccounted for ( April Mathes ).
• Mar 18_03: Trumpeter 670(m) is not well. Has been X-rayed - no lead seen. He may have a pulmonary infection. Is in isolation in his own little pond at Wye Marsh and is still eating fairly well (April Mathes).
• April 7_03: Trumpeter 671(f) now suffering from lead poisoning also. Is now sharing quarters with 670(m) who seems to be doing somewhat better, with lower lead levels in the blood. They seem to be enjoying each others company (April Mathes).
• April (mid) 03: Trumpeter 671 (f) died of lead poisoning at Wye Marsh - such a shame :( .
• Note: no idea where 667 migrated to ! (Photo by Jocelyne Arès: Bev Kingdon feeding large trumpeter in Burlington in January)

The second migration - back to Lake Nipissing ? - May / July 2003

• Four swans left: 669 (f), 670 (m) recovering from lead poisoning in Wye Marsh, 667(f) and 672(m).
• May 6_03: Guess who showed up first ! Trumpeter 667, the one who disappeared during the fall migration, was spotted swimming in front of the LaVase River in Lake Nipissing (Ron and Carol Cooke)
• May 10_03: 672 (we think) spotted in front of Gauthier's Bay on L. Nipissing (Ron and Carol Cooke)
• June 2_03: 670(m) spotted on Mattawa River near town of Mattawa, swimming alone.
• July 22_03: 670(m) found dead in Rutherglen :( .
• Summer 03 - one swan from the original group (possibly two) spent the summer in the Gauthier's Bay, LaVase River area.
• Remaining swans as of November 2003: 667(f), 669(f), 672(m). (Photo JM Filion: Two-year-old just prior to migration)

The 2003 group of 14 (June 2, 2003 release)

• June 2_03: 14 Trumpeter swans released in Callander Bay main beach area. Split into two groups, with one group heading up the eastern shore towards the marsh, and the other group heading up the western shore towards the main Callander Bay Marina. (Photos by Filion unless otherwise noted)
• Summer 03: Eight ( 8 ) swans have been around the village of Callander all summer and appear to be quite tame.

• Oct. 14_03: 2 trumpeters spotted along shoreline near town of Callander (Ron & Carol Cooke).
• Oct 15_03: 5 were in yacht club basin for a couple of days as Callander Bay was quite rough. From reports of home owners around the shoreline, only 4 of these swans are able to fly at this time (Ron and Carol Cooke).

• Oct 29_03: spotted 8 at government dock in Callander. 2 are still up the creek leading to the Callander lagoon and (presumably these same 2) have been there all summer since shortly after their release. We believe these 2 have still not flown. After much encouragement on our part, they flapped their wings and "ran" across the water for a couple of hundred feet. They looked fine, but definitely can't fly yet. We think they have been very comfortable up this creek all summer and have had no reason to fly (Ron and Carol Cooke).
• Nov. 10_03: 3 trumpeters were spotted at the yacht club, 1 at Callander government dock, 4 in Callander Bay just west of golf club (Ron and Carol Cooke).

• Oct 30_03: these 2 swans are finally moving towards lake. They are about half way from their original location in a small pond near the mouth of the creek that leads to the Callander lagoons.
• Nov 13_03: Ten trumpeters seen at Callander Bay Government Docks (Bev Kingdon)
• Nov16_03: 775,778,782 & 589 at Callander Bay Government Docks, foraging plants from the bottom with their long necks. Ice is forming along the shoreline. Callander Bay Yacht Club bay is now frozen over. The photo shows 589 swimming past a snow-covered rock.(Lois Filion)

• Nov18_03: 8 trumpeters in and around Callander Government Dock. Water from shore to lighthouse island froze over last week, now thawed. Residents are still feeding the swans - this may become a problem re their leaving on their own. Managed to read the following numbers: 589, 775, 778, 780, 781, 782 (Ray Larochelle)
• Nov 20_03: Out flying yesterday. There are now 13 swans in the area: 2 at Barbara Bain area of lake near Lonely Island 8 still hanging around Callander docks, 3 in main part of Lake - behind Kidds Island & Dave Alkins Island. (Ron and Carol Cooke)
• Dec 9_03: Most of Lake Nipissing frozen. 8 swans sighted in the remaining open water area (Ron and Carol Cooke)
• Dec 10_03: Arial survey. All of Lake Nipissing now frozen. No swans seen anywhere. (Ron and Carol Cooke)
• Dec 14_03: Male swan #672, from the 2002 Callander Bay Release, arrives in Burlington, ON with two other swans. (Photo: Bev Kingdon)

• Dec 14_03: Three swans have still not migrated and gather in the Callander Bay Marina area (773, 777, 780). Trumpeter 780 has been nicknamed 'Droopy' by the locals as it has a droopy wing and is a poor flyer. The other 7 of the Marina group have migrated. Swans 773, 777 are from the marsh group. They too have not migrated. Everyone is concerned that they may be suffering from lead poisoning and are too weak to migrate.
• Dec 17_03: Corn feeder installed in the Marina area by LNPC. Photo shows Linda Connolly feeding the three non-migrating swans prior to capture attempts. Upon receiving orders from Harry Lumsden, O'Grady and Filion make plans to capture 'Droopy' (780) for transport to Wye Marsh and veterinary examination.

• Dec 21_03: O'Grady and Filion are successful in trapping 780. Trumpeters 777 and 773 are cut off from corn and water (orders from Harry Lumsden) in order to try and coax them to migrate. Photo shows 'Droopy' in his portable cage, off to Midland with O'Grady and Filion. Xrays showed no signs of lead pellets in 'Droopy'. He has a bad wing and will probably become part of Harry Lumsden's breeding stock (and be pampered his whole life !).

• Dec 27_03: Trumpeters 773 and 777 have still not migrated. The opening of the pickerel fishery is looming. Snowmobile traffic is intensifying and these swans definitely risk being killed while lying on the ice, for all the world looking like a ball of snow.
• Harry Lumsden decides to give O'Grady and Filion the go-ahead to live trap 773 and 777 and orders them moved to Burlington, as they show no signs of lead poisoning. The photo (by Diane O'Grady) shows 773 and 777 lying in the snow near the 'live-trap' some time prior to being caught.

• Dec 27_03: Near noon, both swans are live trapped but 777 escapes from the pen. A decision is made to take 773 down to Burlington. Bev and Ray Kingdon are the driver volunteers.Upon arrival in Burlington, 773 flies off to join a group of trumpeters swimming in the distance, and the next day comes to feed accompanied by another trumpeter. The photograph (Diane O'Grady) shows 773 in a bad mood after being live-trapped.

• Dec 28_03: Trumpeter 777 is now wary of the pen and its rotating gate. He runs in to feed and drink then runs out to sit outside the pen. Mike Connolly and Kevin O'Grady team up to capture the swan after sunset. Just after 777 enters the pen, O'Grady makes a large walking loop some distance in front of the pen. With 777 distracted, Mike manages to close the gate and catch 777. A decision is made to leave 777 in the pen till morning.
• Dec 29_03: Jean-Marc Filion is called in to gently catch and transfer 777 to the portable pen in which he will be travelling to Burlington to join 773 and the other 60 or more trumpeters that now migrate here every winter. Ron and Carol Cooke leave from North Bay as Bev and Ray Kingdon leave from Burlington. The pair meet in Orillia perform a 777 transfer. Trumpeter 777 is released later that afternoon in Burlington Bay.
• The photograph shows Filion transfering 777 to the portable cage, assisted by Carol Cooke. (Photo Lois Filion)