photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Dana Holm | profile | all galleries >> Minnesota Wildlife >> Swans of Monticello tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Swans of Monticello

Below the power plant at Monticello, thousands of swans winter in the open water provided by the warm discharge of the plant. The river stays open across it's whole width for several miles and there are a few viewing areas along the way. Twenty-five years ago, a woman named Sheila Lawrence began feeding several pairs of swans that were wintering on the Mississippi river in her back yard.

Several has grown to thousands over the years and the effort and cost has grown with it. In recent years, Sheila and her husband Jim put out over 1,000 pounds of corn daily through a mechanized conveyor system. Unfortunately, Sheila passed this past April(2011) but was promised by Jim that the tradition she started would continue. If you visit the "Swan Park" adjacent to their home, donate generously to help keep Sheila's project alive. Swans are typically in Monticello from December through March.
The Swans of Monticello copy.jpg
The Swans of Monticello copy.jpg		 Mate selection antics pano copy.jpg
Mate selection antics pano copy.jpg		 Boat landing Duo copy.jpg
Boat landing Duo copy.jpg		 Trio near landing copy.jpg
Trio near landing copy.jpg
Mass exodus off the river copy.jpg
Mass exodus off the river copy.jpg		 Sunrise on Monticello copy.jpg
Sunrise on Monticello copy.jpg		 Dueling Fans copy.jpg
Dueling Fans copy.jpg		 Winter fisherman Monticello II copy.jpg
Winter fisherman Monticello II copy.jpg
1st light at MW II copy.jpg
1st light at MW II copy.jpg		 morning shoreline MW pano copy.jpg
morning shoreline MW pano copy.jpg		 HDR Swan scene copy.jpg
HDR Swan scene copy.jpg		 Full flaps copy.jpg
Full flaps copy.jpg
Goldeneye flock copy.jpg
Goldeneye flock copy.jpg		 Goldeneyes wanting to be swans copy.jpg
Goldeneyes wanting to be swans copy.jpg		 swans over eagles copy.jpg
swans over eagles copy.jpg		 Take off copy.jpg
Take off copy.jpg
Blue sky swan copy.jpg
Blue sky swan copy.jpg		 Big flock copy.jpg
Big flock copy.jpg		 Mom and cygnets flight copy.jpg
Mom and cygnets flight copy.jpg		 Wing span full copy.jpg
Wing span full copy.jpg
BW dual flocks copy.jpg
BW dual flocks copy.jpg		 Steamy early morning flight copy.jpg
Steamy early morning flight copy.jpg		 BW morning fog copy.jpg
BW morning fog copy.jpg		 Sunrise swans in fog with geese overhead.jpg
Sunrise swans in fog with geese overhead.jpg
Foggy morning flight copy.jpg
Foggy morning flight copy.jpg		 Morning exodus copy.jpg
Morning exodus copy.jpg		 Swans landing in fog copy.jpg
Swans landing in fog copy.jpg		 Silhouetted swans copy.jpg
Silhouetted swans copy.jpg
Swan family in morning light copy.jpg
Swan family in morning light copy.jpg		 Swan Clan.jpg
Swan Clan.jpg		 Swan morning copy.jpg
Swan morning copy.jpg		 Sunrise on the swan park copy.jpg
Sunrise on the swan park copy.jpg
Foggy Cove flight copy.jpg
Foggy Cove flight copy.jpg		 Misty takeoff copy.jpg
Misty takeoff copy.jpg		 Mid-morning pair in flight copy.jpg
Mid-morning pair in flight copy.jpg		 Mystery Swans II.jpg
Mystery Swans II.jpg
Morning Illusion.jpg
Morning Illusion.jpg		 Cleared for landing copy.jpg
Cleared for landing copy.jpg		 Incoming foursome copy.jpg
Incoming foursome copy.jpg		 Foggy morning on the river copy.jpg
Foggy morning on the river copy.jpg
Reflection landing copy.jpg
Reflection landing copy.jpg		 Ready to land II AILL copy.jpg
Ready to land II AILL copy.jpg		 Morning Majesty Swan fan pano copy.jpg
Morning Majesty Swan fan pano copy.jpg		 Sunrise at Monticello Pano.jpg
Sunrise at Monticello Pano.jpg
BW form copy.jpg
BW form copy.jpg		 Swans in Love copy.jpg
Swans in Love copy.jpg		 - 20 pano copy.jpg
- 20 pano copy.jpg		 Morning glory pano copy.jpg
Morning glory pano copy.jpg
Fly-by BW.jpg
Fly-by BW.jpg		 First light copy.jpg
First light copy.jpg		 Swan central at -18 copy.jpg
Swan central at -18 copy.jpg		 Swans gliding through snowfall III copy.jpg
Swans gliding through snowfall III copy.jpg
Landing pair copy.jpg
Landing pair copy.jpg		 Flying through morning fog copy.jpg
Flying through morning fog copy.jpg		 Misty River.jpg
Misty River.jpg		 Swan Song 2005.jpg
Swan Song 2005.jpg
Swans floating in the Mist copy.jpg
Swans floating in the Mist copy.jpg		 Swans in flight II copy.jpg
Swans in flight II copy.jpg		 In Sync copy.jpg
In Sync copy.jpg		 The river is full copy.jpg
The river is full copy.jpg
Swan clan II DG copy.jpg
Swan clan II DG copy.jpg		 Tag team copy.jpg
Tag team copy.jpg		 Trumpeter swans in mist pano copy.jpg
Trumpeter swans in mist pano copy.jpg		 Cygnet pair II copy.jpg
Cygnet pair II copy.jpg
Foggy flight IV copy.jpg
Foggy flight IV copy.jpg		 Space Invasion copy.jpg
Space Invasion copy.jpg		 Foggy flight copy.jpg
Foggy flight copy.jpg		 Misty morning Swan copy.jpg
Misty morning Swan copy.jpg
River scene 2-29-12 II copy.jpg
River scene 2-29-12 II copy.jpg		 Swan Pano II copy.jpg
Swan Pano II copy.jpg		 Swan Pano copy.jpg
Swan Pano copy.jpg		 Swan flight copy.jpg
Swan flight copy.jpg
Swans through the fog copy.jpg
Swans through the fog copy.jpg		 Swans in flight IV copy.jpg
Swans in flight IV copy.jpg		 River scene IX copy.jpg
River scene IX copy.jpg		 Swans against frost III copy.jpg
Swans against frost III copy.jpg
Fanned out copy.jpg
Fanned out copy.jpg		 River dispute copy.jpg
River dispute copy.jpg		 The Swans of Monticello copy.jpg
The Swans of Monticello copy.jpg		 Fisherman and swans copy.jpg
Fisherman and swans copy.jpg
Fly fisherman II copy.jpg
Fly fisherman II copy.jpg		 Swan fan II copy.jpg
Swan fan II copy.jpg		 Painting of river scene II copy.jpg
Painting of river scene II copy.jpg		 Perfect landing copy.jpg
Perfect landing copy.jpg
River scene III copy.jpg
River scene III copy.jpg		 Swans against frost copy.jpg
Swans against frost copy.jpg		 Swans against frost IV copy.jpg
Swans against frost IV copy.jpg		 Swans against blue sky copy.jpg
Swans against blue sky copy.jpg
Swans flying in all directions.jpg
Swans flying in all directions.jpg		 Morning light copy.jpg
Morning light copy.jpg		 Sunrise at Monticello copy.jpg
Sunrise at Monticello copy.jpg		 Winter river scene copy.jpg
Winter river scene copy.jpg
Tight formation copy.jpg
Tight formation copy.jpg		 Swans and Goldeneyes pano copy.jpg
Swans and Goldeneyes pano copy.jpg		 Swan flight pano IV copy.jpg
Swan flight pano IV copy.jpg		 Swan flight pano III copy.jpg
Swan flight pano III copy.jpg
Early morning after 1st storm copy.jpg
Early morning after 1st storm copy.jpg		 Over the cottonwoods copy.jpg
Over the cottonwoods copy.jpg		 Below zero river scene copy.jpg
Below zero river scene copy.jpg		 Early light II copy.jpg
Early light II copy.jpg
Swan song II copy.jpg
Swan song II copy.jpg		 Nervous onlookers copy.jpg
Nervous onlookers copy.jpg		 Frigid swan central copy.jpg
Frigid swan central copy.jpg		 Misty morning flight copy.jpg
Misty morning flight copy.jpg
Outnumbered copy.jpg
Outnumbered copy.jpg		 Swan wings abstract copy.jpg
Swan wings abstract copy.jpg		 Swan overhead copy.jpg
Swan overhead copy.jpg		 Swan shore pano copy.jpg
Swan shore pano copy.jpg
Frozen swan central copy.jpg
Frozen swan central copy.jpg		 Hey your on my foot copy.jpg
Hey your on my foot copy.jpg		 Ice flow pano copy.jpg
Ice flow pano copy.jpg		 Young swans flying through snow copy.jpg
Young swans flying through snow copy.jpg
Ice flow flyover IV copy.jpg
Ice flow flyover IV copy.jpg		 White on white copy.jpg
White on white copy.jpg		 Winter flight II copy.jpg
Winter flight II copy.jpg		 Goldeneyes and Geese in flight copy.jpg
Goldeneyes and Geese in flight copy.jpg
Hooded meganser and swans copy.jpg
Hooded meganser and swans copy.jpg		 Icy landing copy.jpg
Icy landing copy.jpg		 Majestic Trumpeter Swan copy.jpg
Majestic Trumpeter Swan copy.jpg		 Angelic morning fan .jpg
Angelic morning fan .jpg
Swan sliding down bank copy.jpg
Swan sliding down bank copy.jpg		 Territory dispute copy.jpg
Territory dispute copy.jpg		 Touchdown copy.jpg
Touchdown copy.jpg		 Icy Mississippi copy.jpg
Icy Mississippi copy.jpg
Foggy river scene II copy.jpg
Foggy river scene II copy.jpg		 Cygnets feeding copy.jpg
Cygnets feeding copy.jpg		 Soft landing copy.jpg
Soft landing copy.jpg		 Threesome landing copy.jpg
Threesome landing copy.jpg
Walking on water copy.jpg
Walking on water copy.jpg		 Swan pair in fog copy.jpg
Swan pair in fog copy.jpg		 - 20 degrees fahrenheit swan shoreline copy.jpg
- 20 degrees fahrenheit swan shoreline copy.jpg		 Monochrome flight scene copy.jpg
Monochrome flight scene copy.jpg
BW swans in the frozen mist copy.jpg
BW swans in the frozen mist copy.jpg		 Swan family in the mist in copy.jpg
Swan family in the mist in copy.jpg		 Landing with style copy.jpg
Landing with style copy.jpg		 - 20 river scene II copy.jpg
- 20 river scene II copy.jpg
Mated for life copy.jpg
Mated for life copy.jpg		 Swans in flight II copy.jpg
Swans in flight II copy.jpg		 Misty River landing copy.jpg
Misty River landing copy.jpg		 Two way traffic copy.jpg
Two way traffic copy.jpg
Landing dream painting copy.jpg
Landing dream painting copy.jpg		 Frozen swan copy.jpg
Frozen swan copy.jpg		 Frozen River pano copy.jpg
Frozen River pano copy.jpg		 Frosty Cygnet copy.jpg
Frosty Cygnet copy.jpg
Swan portrait copy.jpg
Swan portrait copy.jpg		 Frosty flight II copy.jpg
Frosty flight II copy.jpg		 Misty Takeoff Pano copy.jpg
Misty Takeoff Pano copy.jpg		 Last day of winter 2014.jpg
Last day of winter 2014.jpg
Pre-dawn on the river copy.jpg
Pre-dawn on the river copy.jpg		 Swans snowboarding copy.jpg
Swans snowboarding copy.jpg		 Takeoff pano copy.jpg
Takeoff pano copy.jpg		 Take off copy.jpg
Take off copy.jpg
Take off II copy.jpg
Take off II copy.jpg		 Dawn on Monticello copy.jpg
Dawn on Monticello copy.jpg		 Swans in the fog II copy.jpg
Swans in the fog II copy.jpg		 BW flight copy.jpg
BW flight copy.jpg
Swans across from landing copy.jpg
Swans across from landing copy.jpg		 Swans heading to feed copy.jpg
Swans heading to feed copy.jpg		 Early morning flight copy.jpg
Early morning flight copy.jpg		 Swans along campground shoreline copy.jpg
Swans along campground shoreline copy.jpg
Swans directly overhead copy.jpg
Swans directly overhead copy.jpg		 Swans flying over eagle perch copy.jpg
Swans flying over eagle perch copy.jpg		 Early morning sun on Swans and Goldeneyes copy.jpg
Early morning sun on Swans and Goldeneyes copy.jpg		 Mating Dance copy.jpg
Mating Dance copy.jpg
Swan flock flying through fog copy.jpg
Swan flock flying through fog copy.jpg		 Morning mist Pano copy.jpg
Morning mist Pano copy.jpg		 Chaos copy.jpg
Chaos copy.jpg		 River flight copy.jpg
River flight copy.jpg
Landing pair copy.jpg
Landing pair copy.jpg		 Swans flying through mist copy.jpg
Swans flying through mist copy.jpg		 Swan pair in flight copy.jpg
Swan pair in flight copy.jpg		 Swans taking flight from eagles copy.jpg
Swans taking flight from eagles copy.jpg
Right over head copy.jpg
Right over head copy.jpg		 Heading to the fields to feed copy.jpg
Heading to the fields to feed copy.jpg		 Huge takeoff copy.jpg
Huge takeoff copy.jpg		 Jim with his hands full copy.jpg
Jim with his hands full copy.jpg
Jim Lawrence feeding sequence copy.jpg
Jim Lawrence feeding sequence copy.jpg		 Swan Lady Tribute copy.jpg
Swan Lady Tribute copy.jpg		 Swan Park copy.jpg
Swan Park copy.jpg		 young swan overhead AIC copy.jpg
young swan overhead AIC copy.jpg

comment | share
Pawel Kazmierczyk12-Feb-2015 18:59
fantastic collection... bravo!
joseantonio09-Jan-2014 20:06
Amazing gallery. Such a lovely work here.V.
thchang04-Feb-2013 15:07
Excellent gallery. Thanks for sharing! Voted!!
T. Richard Chen12-Feb-2012 17:26
Your images are very exquisite and will live on for many photo-lovers to admire. A big V from me.
m.kastelic08-Feb-2012 09:36
Wonderful gallery!
Paolo Peggi (aka Bracciodiferro)06-Feb-2012 12:57
Excellent in all ways! BV
Paolo
click on thumbnails for full image