84 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 6, 1995 Winging their wa _ YVONNE MOEN _ WINTER HAS returmed to the Skeena valley, and with the cold weather come the trumpeter swans. Making the trek across the frozen Lakelse Lake io watch the ‘swans splash in the open - water by Williams Creek has become a. wintertime -tadition, Trumpeter Swans are so_ named because of. their deep, resonant call which. sounds like a: trumpet. Ma- ture swans weight approxi- mately - 30-40 | pounds and fave a wingspan of about eight to 10 feet, These large beautiful birds . mate for life, and are de- scribed as the most graceful birds that fly. Their diet primarily con- sists of aquatic vegetation and wild grasses. But they love to feed on barley, and will eat it tight out ofa per- son’s hand. I] wondered for how long ° trumpeters have been nest- ing in Terrace, so I phoned Ployd Frank, a well known: early pioneer to the Kitsum- kalum and one .of the first birders of the area. His. early recollections are among the few ‘resources available which - indicate what species. have. . been present since the 1920s. Floyd has been the. official counter for breeder bird sur- veys since 1967, According to Floyd, the trumpeter swans have been licre long before white setilers ever arrived; in | the area, and. sloughs that. stay: “open. throughout the cold Weather. ~~ A flock of about eighty swans were counted on Mud and. Preston Lake a few years ago, With the addition of swans nesting at Lakelse and the Gitnadoix, it is safe fo assume there are more than 100 in the area. + When Floyd took his first trip up the Gitnadoix river in about 1964, a pair of ma- ture trumpeters flew out of one of the, shallow lakes bordering the rivera mile or so before reaching Allister Lake, at the headwaters of the river, Scouting around the lake, Floyd and his companions Herman and Ortrud Bus- chmann found a nest con- taining one egg on a small mound rising slightly above the water, They doubted the egg would ever hatch, as they felt the rising water from the Spring run-off would likely flood the nest.” However a year later the Buschmanns found another next containing several eggs, and took a picture for proof that trumpeters nested there, They showed the. picture to a wildlife official who- shrugged and said the photo could have been taken any- where, Floyd went up the Git- nadoix again in 1975 in the company of the Bus- chmanns and watched for the swans. Tucy located one swan drifting around in a small lake in the middle of a swampy area. They were sctting up a telescope to get a good look at the bird, when they noticed a second had joined it. That led them to belicve a nest was nearby, The Buschmanns made a return trip a month later, and spotted the pair of swans in the same arca with: two young signets in tow, They reported their find to | wildlife officials, A helicop- mature birds. But when they swung back for a closer look, the birds had dis- a ppeared, So for the time, the ques: tion of whether birds actual- ter was sent out to investi-. gate, and they spotted two THIS PICTURE of a Trumpeter Swan out at Lakelse Lake was taken by Lisa Stanley. She’s bean photograph- ing the movements of the swans for about five years. She has amassed a wonderful collection of photographs. ly nested in the area was un- answered, at least in an offi- cial capacity. But that doubt was laid to rest in intervening years. To confirm this I phoned John Trewhitt, from. the. B.C. Parks Branch. He said: for several years B,C. Parks has ‘been monitoring swans, in ‘this area,” ~~ and: yes, Trumpeter Swans do nest in ‘the Gitnadoix area, As ‘for. the Trumpeter ; Swans that winter at Lakelse Lake, that’s another story. Over. the. years several people who live year round at the lake have been feed- ing the ‘swans. *. - ' Lloyd Johnstone who lives at the lake says the same swans return to his place year after. year. He saw the first ones return. the last _week of October this year. Lioyd said. the ‘number of swans vary from year io _ year. About 50 years ago he Phey 'witied” id the lakes “ed ‘AQ * shallow * tivers '" aiid ¥ ‘swans. Now. “there’are in average of 60 it the Lakelse Lake area. kk kk *k Just a little correction from~ last week. . Robert McCulloch lives in Terrace. And Mary’s daughter, Alice McCulloch, was at the Kitimat Hospital and is now at Terraceview Lodge. Alice would love to have her old friends come up and visit Lock Out Auto Crime Road Sense : i | | | | | baliiee betwee itiore informalion-contad. Approximately 90 per cent of the energy we deliver to you is produced at hydroelectric generating sta- _ tions. However, the generation of hydroelectric power can diminish fish stocks and harm aquatic - = habitats bath: upstream and downstream of dams anid, _ power. Houses. That 8 why. we ene We New Years Eve Party at the Skeena Valley Golf Club. — Limited tickets available at Rose’s Ladies Fashions and Terrace Totem Ford. Make up a group and join in on the fun. Qo wew wet. Best Western Sands | Hotel Weekend oper Saver Single or Double: (Regul lar 879° i'99%) - Toll Free Direct The Best Western Sands 1-800-66 ]- 7887. a The Best Western Sands is located one ‘half block from the beach and three blocks from world famous Stanley Park. § There are 119 air-conditioned rooms and suites. 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Issues in External Relations Advonced Economic Gea col ; ‘¢ Health & Humon Selences Face to Face ~ Face fo Face {Video to FG aie COMM 312 — Time: Wed. 7:00- 10: 00 pm “Tima: Tues;/Thurs, 4:00 - 5:20 am: " Inlermediote Managerial Accounting EDUC 610 oot Fate to Foc Quolitative Analysis n Elin HIST 350 Monogement & Administration Time: Wed. 6:00-9:00 pm Videocorference ~ story of Nothin Europe . ess “ ~ Videaconferenca COMM 4] 2 Kitimat Time: Wed. 6:30 - “9:20 pm — Time: Wed, 6:30 «9: 20 pan ; GEOG 30 Prince Rupert - Environment ond Seely Arts & Stienca itaotona Cay 1s) bs : 6 - Tne . ace . ma, ENGL 350 . Times’ pes Tes 1000-1 We 20% om. ame oe ition nin pm. Comparative ltertne mh FNST 298 Videoconferenca - GE0G.307- Spectal Topics in Fist ~ Kitameat Village Time: Thurs. 6:30 - 9: 20, pin «Historical cai a af fama ~Wotons Studies : . ENGL 440 © Face to Face Mi a to PG): Foca to Face” Ais & Senco : Postcalsnial {literature - A, Mans? 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For ita information, please cl the Regional Office , , , . * Rogeshation for ENVS 205 must ba teteived by the regional office no later than Decesnter Bth, managing water flow ina way that considers fish as habitats, while providing for your energy needs. For more information about our environmental initiatives, or to provide us with your comments, plenie,” : call 1-800-663-0431 throughout B.C. We welcome your call,» - generaling station near Bella Coola, we developed Whether we're conserving electricily or producing _ : ‘a tailrace chainnel for spawning salmon. The tesult it, we’re working to preserve pm E +HWIERE ni. improved spawning. and rearing habitat, othe, natural beauty of our We're the first to’ ‘admit that everyting isn t lystet province, And that’ s being Rey Power Smart. well as electricity generation needs, emphasizing conservation, restoration and enhancement of Fish stocks, For example, at the Clayton Falls Creek