WATERFOWL -- Ice-up has ushered the trumpeter swans out of Turnbull National Wildlife refuge to where ever they go during winter.

Solo, the geriatric patriarch of his growing trumpeter family, departed the refuge with his mate and this year's crop of five cygnets during Thanksgiving week, said Mike Rule, refuge biologist. Three yearling swans from last-year's crop -- the first brood at Turnbull in 22 years -- also have left.

This morning, only a small 20-yard diameter opening remained in the ice on Cheever Lake, one of the swans' favorite hang-outs, Rule said. The trumpeters require around 50 yards or more of open water for a "runway" in order to take off and get their heavy bodies airborne.

"I believe all wetlands on the refuge are now frozen over," Rule said.

Rule said he plans to capture some of the younger swans next year and fix them with colored collars that would encourage birders to report swan sightings. This would help end the mystery of where Solo has been wintering undetected for the 33-46 years that he's been on the refuge, Rule said.

Report swan sightings: "If your readers can be prompted to be on the look out, I would love to get notification of any sightings of swans this winter," Rule said.