Ice Trumpets—In Mono

As trumpeter swans in Yellowstone use a frozen river as a 100-yard runway to get their massive bulks airborne, this image memorializes that moment between running and flying, that moment right before inevitable flight. Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl species found in North America with a wingspan up to eight feet. Trumpeters were almost wiped out in the 1930s, but in one of many great conservation stories, the species is now enjoying a widespread recovery due in part to efforts in Yellowstone National Park.