Tundra Swan Migration Pungo Unit Pocosin Lakes NWR Stock Image

Arriving in N.C. in late autumn /early winter, Tundra swans, make their way to the the Pungo Unit of Pocosin Lakes NWR where the agricultural fields are filled with leftover grain which provides winter nourishment for the birds.This crop management is the result of an agreement between the Wildlife Service and local farmers.During the day, the swans move throughout the refuge flying from Pungo Lake to the farm fields in search of food.In the the large shallow ponds created by flooded out fields, the birds graze on the submerged vegetation below the waters surface.It’s in these fields that the birds are best observed up close vs. trying to view them paddling in the water over the vast expanse of Pungo Lake.Aren’t they lovely?