Mute Swans in Petaluma - Photos of Mute Swans in Petaluma |

We call them “mute” because they’re comparatively quiet. If you’ve ever experienced the clamor of Tundra Swans banking toward the wetlands, “mute” will seem an appropriate designation for these travelers. But they’re not silent as the name suggests. They’ll hiss and utter caw-like calls. Overhead, they render melodies, pushing air into songs and squeaks with their wings.

Mute Swans Flying Over Petaluma Wetlands - ©ingridtaylar

Mute Swans are native to Europe but not to North America. They are as non-native as Starlings and House Sparrows but, thankfully, not as often maligned. I spent my early grade school years taking walks along the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) in Switzerland, where Mute Swans rule the roost in a most regal way.

Yesterday we walked the parched flats of Shollenberger Park at the crack of dawn, watching the sun rise over the wetlands, looking to see which of our autumn and winter migrants had returned to their Petaluma haunts. We stopped to photograph some Black-necked Stilts who flew in to forage and bathe at a freshwater rivulet.

Black-Necked Stilts on Descent - ©ingridtaylar

As I snapped this shot, we saw the glint of white wings approaching. Around here, it’s usually American White Pelicans or egrets, the Snowy or the Great. A bit farther north and east in the Delta area it can be Tundra Swans or Snow Geese. But here, it was a resident flock of Mute Swans making a pass just over our heads.