Tundra Swans in Flight

Our friends Rita and Don took us on an outing to the area around Moss Landing (30 minutes north of their home in Pacific Grove, California), for some excellent birding; they recorded 71 species. Best by far were six Tundra Swans  (a family group--just five here)--first seen by Rita, over  Elkhorn Slough. They flew past but  she followed them as they eventually reversed course and landed further along the long stretch of water. They are rarely seen in this part of California, and our expert friends recalled only a handful of sightings.

N.B.  If you haven't seen the wonderful cluster of monarch butterflies I posted yesterday, they are here.