Swans flock to Yukon's Marsh Lake on spring migration
The annual trumpeter swan migration into Yukon took off on the weekend, with the number of swans at Swan Haven on Marsh Lake jumping to around 600 from 88 overnight Saturday.
That number should peak at around 2,000 over the next few weeks as more and more swans arrive from the Vancouver area to rest in McClintock Bay and refuel. Then they'll continue heading north to nesting sites in Yukon and Alaska.
The swans make a lot of noise out on the ice and open water.
Biologist Carrie McClelland says their vocalizations could be about a variety of things.
"They communicate," she said. "They warn about predators; they find their mates; they tell people off; they're chatting to other."
There's a number of events going on in Yukon this week celebrating the migration including a talk about the history of the swans and their remarkable comeback from near extinction about 100 years ago.
