swan
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chip hanson
Mar 14, 2026, 10:12:44 AM (17 hours ago) Mar 14
to Ely Field Naturalists
I noticed that all but two of the Swan were frozen out of the 88 Bridge today. Do we know where they go to hang out when that location is frozen ?
chip
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Steve J Engel
Mar 14, 2026, 12:54:06 PM (14 hours ago) Mar 14
to chip hanson, Ely Field Naturalists
Chip, where the Shagawa River loops under the Fernberg Rd near Winton is a good place to look.
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Carl Karasti
Mar 14, 2026, 5:00:57 PM (10 hours ago) Mar 14
to Steve J Engel, chip hanson, Ely Field Naturalists
Where do the Swans go?
The favorite viewing location is what I have labeled as "Swan Pond" on the west (upstream side) of Hwy 88 (Grant McMahan Blvd) because the Swans like to hang out there and it provides easy viewing access. It's great as long as there's open water there. What happens when it freezes over?
Just a bit down stream (to the east) there are a couple of stretches of rapids that help maintain some open water. Although the Swans probably don't like to hang out right in the rapids, there's some open water just below each of them. Hiking in on the old railroad grade – currently a snowmobile trail providing easy access – may reward you with seeing Swans in either location.
Further downstream, on the way to Winton, there are also a few other small rapids below which there would be some open water for the Swans, but those locations aren't easy to access.
By Winton there really isn't any open water for them yet. The stretch I labeled "Quiet Water" on the north side of the highway is an area they do like to be in after it does open up, but it's not open yet. The "Fast Water" stretch starts to open up a bit later and starts cutting eastward through the ice. Eventually it opens up what I think of as the "Big Bend" which expands towards the highway (Fernberg Rd). This is their favorite stretch to hang out, but it will be a while before that finally opens up, especially far enough east to allow the Swans to get closer to the highway where we can view them.
The "Rapids" where the water exits the culverts beneath the highway is too small to provide enough open water below them for the Swans to be interested in being there so close to the road.
Eventually, the ice starts clearing out near the mouth of the river at Fall Lake and they start gathering there. By then, there can sometimes be a lot of Swans and, between the Big Bend and the mouth of the river it can get really noisy, usually all through the night.
From there, the Swans start exploring further down stream into Newton, Basswood and beyond because the lakes are opening up quickly by that time of the season.
I would think that Swans might like to hang out in the open water from the current through the MPL Hydo Plant into Fall Lake, but I'm not aware that they do spend time there. Maybe they don't like to be in such deep water and instead prefer to be where it's shallower so they can dip down to feed.
The favorite viewing location is what I have labeled as "Swan Pond" on the west (upstream side) of Hwy 88 (Grant McMahan Blvd) because the Swans like to hang out there and it provides easy viewing access. It's great as long as there's open water there. What happens when it freezes over?
Just a bit down stream (to the east) there are a couple of stretches of rapids that help maintain some open water. Although the Swans probably don't like to hang out right in the rapids, there's some open water just below each of them. Hiking in on the old railroad grade – currently a snowmobile trail providing easy access – may reward you with seeing Swans in either location.
Further downstream, on the way to Winton, there are also a few other small rapids below which there would be some open water for the Swans, but those locations aren't easy to access.
By Winton there really isn't any open water for them yet. The stretch I labeled "Quiet Water" on the north side of the highway is an area they do like to be in after it does open up, but it's not open yet. The "Fast Water" stretch starts to open up a bit later and starts cutting eastward through the ice. Eventually it opens up what I think of as the "Big Bend" which expands towards the highway (Fernberg Rd). This is their favorite stretch to hang out, but it will be a while before that finally opens up, especially far enough east to allow the Swans to get closer to the highway where we can view them.
The "Rapids" where the water exits the culverts beneath the highway is too small to provide enough open water below them for the Swans to be interested in being there so close to the road.
Eventually, the ice starts clearing out near the mouth of the river at Fall Lake and they start gathering there. By then, there can sometimes be a lot of Swans and, between the Big Bend and the mouth of the river it can get really noisy, usually all through the night.
From there, the Swans start exploring further down stream into Newton, Basswood and beyond because the lakes are opening up quickly by that time of the season.
I would think that Swans might like to hang out in the open water from the current through the MPL Hydo Plant into Fall Lake, but I'm not aware that they do spend time there. Maybe they don't like to be in such deep water and instead prefer to be where it's shallower so they can dip down to feed.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elyfieldnaturalists/CALZULw2Ym%2B9Pfiygqu-kBBttWF9ktszmQnZhy8puaXM8cFSYZA%40mail.gmail.com.
chip hanson
Mar 14, 2026, 7:38:10 PM (7 hours ago) Mar 14
to Carl Karasti, Steve J Engel, Ely Field Naturalists
Yes ....those are all the spots.....but none of them are open. It looked like there might up to 20 swan on "Swan Pond" last week and only two today.......I was surprised those two were there.....there was only about 25 foot diameter of water available. I have never seen a swan hanging out in rapids or shallow running water.... .maybe they would by necessity. I wonder where they are.
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