Local birders and commuters got a rare treat on Monday, when a flock of about 25 trumpeter swans paid a visit to the area, nestling down for a bite in a harvested field off of 277th Street Southeast near the Valley 6 Drive-In theater.
Not common to the South Puget Sound, trumpeter swans are known to winter farther north, near Mount Vernon and in the Skagit Valley.
Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl in the world and the largest birds native to North America. They can grow to be as large as 30 pounds, with 8-foot wing spans. The birds are protected species under state law.
