The Lee County Conservation Department's trumpeter swan restoration effort is welcoming five newborns this summer.
Trumpeters were re-introduced to the state of Iowa almost two decades ago after their removal in the late 1800's. Lee County is among one of the many counties that take part in a program to expand the amount of trumpeters in the state.
The adult swans have produced a few batches of eggs in the past, but Lee County Conservation Board Director Tom Buckley says many of the newborns do not live for very long.
"Mammals can prey on them when they're close to the shore, even then, the severe weather can be something else. When they're small, they don't have a lot of feathers on them and they can get hypothermia pretty easily, and there is always a possibility they can die from that," Buckley said.
The board is keeping a close eye on the new cygnets that were born about a week ago. They have provided a nesting area to shelter the swans from bad weather.
Almost 40 acres of fenced land is set up to keep their predators out.
