Swan at Batiquitos Lagoon

There is a swan at Batiquitos Lagoon on the very east side of the lagoon as of 1238 pm today. I can only see through a spotting scope from a distance and it looks like a Trumpeter Swan with an all black bill. Per conversation on this list serve in May of 2019, it may be a local Trumpeter Swan. Here is Justyn Stahl’s email from May,

“ To me, and a few others, this bird appears to be a TRUMPETER Swan. Unfortunately, given the presence of a pair of pet Trumpeter Swans at Lake San Marcos (just 5 miles east of Batiquitos, where there are also Black Swans, etc. on display), and an apparently successful breeding attempt by that pair in 2016 that produced 5 young, one could (should?) surmise that this one, and the one seen a few months ago are of that ilk and not of truly natural origin. This of course muddies the situation for any future reports of Trumpeter Swan anywhere in the county, and also increases the need for good photographs of Tundra Swans that do occur occasionally in the county in *winter* (12 November – 18 March, per the atlas). ”

So since it is winter, I would encourage others to try and get a closer look and photographs to help confirm. 

Best,

Lesley Handa