A lone swan is swimming on the Eel River at Benbow.
Though swans are not unknown in the area, it is somewhat rare to see one in Southern Humboldt. The swans breed and raise their young in Arctic areas at the tip of the North American continent. Then they migrate south to winter on estuaries found along the coast of California and on the rice fields and wild wetlands in the Central Valley.
This single bird though has drifted down to float like a solitary snowflake on the
Eel River near the Benbow Inn. Local wildlife photographer Talia Rose was also able to capture some shots of the graceful bird, saying on her Facebook page County Line Wild that the swan had been at the location for a few days.
This article appears in The Gift Guide 2019.
