Finnish Bird

Continuing the series of "birds that shouldn't be here" posts I present the Whooper Swan, the national bird of Finland.

This swan, which spends it's summers in northern Eurasia and winters in central Eurasia, is generally found in North America only in the Aleutian Islands. But this particular bird is spending the winter in central New Jersey. On a lake in the Pine Barrens, that is part of a curious housing development for which the roads are all unpaved. Hanging with some Canada Geese.

It is not clear if this bird is an escapee from a farm, zoo, or private collection, or if it flew here under its own power. Either way, it was cool to see. And my rule is if it is native to earth, alive, and free then it counts.

And while this wasn't the last bird of Patty's big year, it was close enough for me (I'd only be the chauffeur for one more).  Thus the title of this post.