Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Whenever I am out at Esquimalt Lagoon I always look for this lone Trumpeter Swan who has taken up residence there. Trumpeter Swans are the heaviest native birds in North America and this one is large - and fast. He was paddling along the shoreline so rapidly I nearly had to run to keep up with him. You can also gauge his speed by the bow wave in front of him. Below is a rather large panorama of Esquimalt Lagoon, where today's and yesterday's bird photos were taken. If you click it you will see a larger version. Click it again and it will blow up even larger and you can scroll back and forth to see the lagoon. It's a lovely, peaceful spot.