WILDLIFE WATCHING -- For 22 years through 2009, only one trumpeter swan reliably returned to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge each winter or spring -- whenever enough open water was exposed by ice thawing at the headquarters-area ponds.

Now the legacy of Solo, the lone male trumpeter that finally found love in 2009, lives on in at least a baker's dozen.

Nesting is likely. Broods usually hatch around Father's Day.

Here's today's swan observation from Mike Rule, refuge wildlife biologist:

We watched 13 swans flying down the creek in front of the office this morning . They landed on Winslow Pond and Middle Pine. There were 5 cygnets and 9 adults. Four of the adults are likely the 2 breeding pairs from last year. The age of other 5 adults is unknown. They could be any combination of the 9 swans fledged in 2009, 2010, or 2012. We potentially have four unaccounted for breeding age swans from Solo's 2 broods. Hopefully we'll get another nesting pair established this year. This same group was seen for a couple days in mid-January during a short thaw.