Every winter, there is a small stretch of the Mississippi River in Monticello, MN that does not freeze due to a nuclear power plant upstream. It is here that as many as 2,700 trumpeter swans (along with hundreds of ducks and geese) gather near a tiny city park in a residential neighborhood to enjoy the open water and breakfast each day.
Fun fact: Trumpeter swans were thought to have been extinct from the late 1880s until 1919 when two nests were found in Yellowstone National Park
In the 1980s, Monticello resident Sheila Lawrence (aka the “Swan Lady”) started feeding a few swans and other waterfowl. Over time, the wintering population of trumpeter swans grew into the thousands.
Sheila used to spend many hours manually hauling corn down to the river bank. Thankfully, manually moving the corn was replaced with a custom-designed system that transports the corn from a grain wagon in her driveway down to the feeding area. That system continues to move corn each day at feeding time.
Fun fact: Trumpeter swans are big, really BIG! They stand up to four feet tall, have a wingspan of more than seven feet and weigh between 21 and 35 pounds.
Sadly, Sheila lost her battle with cancer in 2011, but her legacy continues through her husband, Jim. In a real act of love and dedication, you will find Jim feeding her swans every morning at 10:30 AM (feeding takes less than an hour). If you want to know more about the swans or Sheila, please take a moment and ask Jim.
Fun Fact: Jim uses about 200 bushels of corn a week to feed the flock. Ref: Kare 11 Article
One thing that surprised the team was the cacophony of sounds produced by the flock. The sound could best be described as a very loud junior high music class, an interesting mix containing lots of energy and enthusiasm, but slight jarring to hear.
Tip: Turn up the volume to experience the full sounds of the flock
When visiting the park, bring a camera with a telephoto lens (or good zoom) and a good pair of binoculars. The day we visited, the kids seen Mallard ducks, Canadian geese, Trumpeter swans and a few species we could not identify.
Fun Fact: The grey trumpeter swans are called cygnets (young swans). They can swim within 24 hours of hatching and will turn white after about a year.
Directions:
From St. Cloud: Take the 2nd Monticello Exit (#194) off of I-94 East, which brings you to County Road 18. Take a right onto County Road 18.
From Minneapolis: Take the first Monticello Exit (#194) off I-94, which brings you to Country Road 18. Take a right onto County Road 18.
Continue straight ahead, through the stop light (the road turns in County Rd 39E) you will take the second left onto the street Mississippi Drive. Follow the residential housing until you see a little sliver of a park located on the right-hand side near the end of Mississippi Drive.
Additional resources:
Swan City Heritage Foundation on Facebook
Swan Cam (Live feed)
Audobon field guide on Trumpeter Swans
Monticello Swan info
