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Autumnal swan song at Little Sand Bay
Even if you’re the only human exploring a section of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, that doesn’t mean you’re alone. Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore board member Neil Howk proves the point during a recent visit to Little Sand Bay.
I went to Little Sand Bay yesterday (October 21st) to enjoy the fall colors before an approaching weather system could strip many of the remaining leaves from the trees. Though the colors were still nearly at their peak, the overcast sky, brisk temperature, and a stiff northwest breeze kept most visitors away. Mine was the only car in the parking lot.
Little Sand Bay outdoor display – Neil Howk photo
Campground and trees in full fall color – Neil Howk photo
The visitor center was closed for the season. The campground was nearly empty. There was no one viewing the exhibits, no one at the Hokenson Fishery, and no one on the beach. I pretty much had the place to myself…until I walked to the slough and discovered a well-dressed family undeterred by the raw conditions.
Six trumpeter swans were casually feeding in the shallow pond behind the beach. The parents were entirely white with a black bill, while their four cygnets sported dusky gray plumage and pink bills with a black base and tip.
Trumpeter swans were extirpated from Wisconsin in the late 1880s but were re-introduced in 1989 with so much success that they were removed from the Wisconsin endangered species list in 2009. By 2021, their Wisconsin population was estimated at 11,000 birds. Though the birds are named for their deep trumpet-like call, these swans were quietly fueling up in preparation to migrate south for the winter.
These were the first trumpeter swans I ever saw in the park. I thought that this sighting seemed to serve as a fitting “swan song” for the 2025 season.
Trumpeter swans feeding at Little Sand Bay – Neil Howk photos
Little Sand Bay beach – Neil Howk photo
Neil Howk began working as a park ranger/interpreter for the National Park Service in 1978. He worked at a number of different parks over the years and served as the assistant chief of interpretation at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore from 1993-2016. He now serves as a board member of Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
Additional topics related to this article | Birds | Conservation | Interpretation | Little Sand Bay | Plants and Animals
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