We got the text at 9:30 this morning – Tundra Swans on Lake Elkhorn! Kathy and I got our boots and coats on and went down the snow covered paths to the lake. There was about 2 inches of snow on the ground that had fallen during the night and it must have been enough to persuade the migrating swans to settle for the night. We watched them for a while. They went back and forth out in the middle of the lake, there were 20 of them in this flock. At one point we tried to discern their quiet conversation. It slowly increased in volume up to the point of quite an enthusiastic rally and then all of a sudden half of the swans took off followed by the other half. Their long wings slapping the water’s surface, helping to lift their bodies out of the lake. They took off to the East into the wind, rising their white bodies up through and above the gray and green winter forest. Moments later we heard them again as they doubled back, high over the lake heading west-northwest. And they were gone. What a sight. What a way to start the day.