Thanks to Al Geise we received Sir Syd's final location on Swan Lake, North Dakota on November 20, 2001.  We would also like to thank Al Geise for returning Syd's transmitter.

Sir Syd's Diary

Swan 21079 was fitted with a transmitter on March 12, 1999. This swan was recorded at Long Point from Mar 12 until the 16. Sir Syd was then located on March 22 at Saginaw Bay 280km west of Long Point. On March 28-29, Sir Syd was 417km west near Green Bay Wisconsin. The area is well known for its wetlands. From April 4 to 17, the swan remained in the same general area near Fargo Michigan. Sir Syd than traveled 242km before stopping in the lower prairies from Apr 20 -24. Sir Syd than migrated 383km northwest to central Alberta. On the 30^th of April, Sir Syd was located 430km northwest at Peace Athabasca IBA. Peach Athabasca is on of the largest freshwater deltas in the world. It consists of 4 major lakes that are shallow and characterized by thick growth of submergent and emergent vegetation (IBA’s of Canada Online Directory). By May 3^rd, Sir Syd had migrated 430km northwest to a location between Churchill Lake and Lac La Loche, Saskatchewan. May 7, Sir Syd was still located near Churchill Lake. On the 8^th and 9^th of May, Sir Syd migrated 1940km to the middle channel of the MacKenzie River Delta. This is the largest single move that we recorded. On the 28^th of May Sir Syd was located 225km north at the mouth of the Mackenzie River Delta, NWT. The Mackenzie River Delta is an immense area of low lying waters and deltaic islands. Much of the area is covered in fluvial deposits of silt and sand. The islands are generally marshy and covered in sedges, grasses and horsetail, with shrubs in higher areas. On June 1^st, Sir Syd moved 50 km west to Richards Island, NWT where she remained until the 26^th of August.

On the 26^th and 29^th of August, Sir Syd left her summer breeding area and moved to Inuvik NWT. Between the 21 and 24 of September, Sir Syd moved 500km SE and was located near Fort Franklin, NWT just west of Great Bear Lake. On the 29^th of September, Sir Syd was 500km SE and was located west of Great Slave Lake. Between the 11^th and 14^th of October, Sir Syd moved 375km SE and was located west of Fort Fitzgerald, Alberta. Sir Syd than moved 1200km southeast to Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. Between the 1^st and 4^th of November Sir Syd moved 3000km from southern Saskatchewan to the east coast of North Carolina. 

Sir Syd made short distance movements of less than 50 km during the period of Nov. 5 to Feb. 27. Sir Syd then moved 400 km north to Delaware Bay. On March 3^rd, Sir Syd migrated 525km northwest to a location on the north shore of Lake Erie between Buffalo and Long Point. On March 8^th, Sir Syd was located 300km northwest of Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Sir Syd was next located 275km west near Hamlin Lake, on the east coast of Michigan. By March 19, Sir Syd had migrated 785km west and was located near Austin Minnesota. By the 24 th of March, Sir Syd was located just 65km northwest, and than another 50 north by the 29^th near Fargo Michigan. Between the 10^th and 13^th of April, Sir Syd migrated 700km northwest to a location near Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Between the 15^th and 18^th of April, Sir Syd moved 115km straight west and was located at the north end of Last Mountain Lake. On April 19^th, Sir Syd migrated 130km north. On the 10^th of May, Sir Syd migrated 1150km northwest and was located between Great Bear Lake and Fort Good Hope. Sir Syd than made several short distance movements, 150km on May 15^th to the Mackenzie River, and another 250km northwest to the middle channel on May 30. On June 10, Sir Syd was 130km north - near the northern limit of the Mackenzie River Delta. On the 15^th of June, Sir Syd flew 30 km to one of the northerly Islands. 

Sir Syd remained in this location before moving west (following the same pattern as the previous summer) - likely a molting area - where she remained until the 1^st of September. On October 13, Sir Syd was located in Southern Saskatchewan, 1930km southeast of the previous location. This was the last satellite record for Sir Syd. 

Total accumulated tracking distance = 16,578km.

Return to Top of Page
Return to Previous Page