The two huge white things flew by silently on the Boise River. I was taken by surprise.

What's worse was that my camera was in my fanny pack and I missed the shot.

The two swans went upriver as we were hiking Sunday in the Barber Park section of the Boise River. The swans, I think, are the birds people are seeing in southeast Boise and wondering if they are native birds or invasive mute swans that are offsprings of captive birds in the area.

Well, on the drive home we spotted one of the swans in a field near Harris Ranch and I stalked the bird and got a fairly decent shot with my 300mm. I don't think a wild trumpeter swan would have let me get as close as I did.

This is the photo I got and I think it's one of the mute swans.

The problem with mute swans is that they are not native to the United States and can cause damage to wetlands habitat and compete with native species like the trumpeter swan.

Readers over the years have reported seeing swans in other areas of town and they could be mute swans that have been brought in for ornamental purposes.

Fish and Game would prefer to get mute swans out of the area to avoid competition with native species.

Most of the wild, native trumpeter swans are seen in eastern Idaho, like along the Henrys Fork of the Snake River. Wild swans in migration are also seen along parts of the Snake River.

You can tell a mute swan by the prominent black knot on its forehead near where the bill comes out of the head. I'm thinking the black on this swan shows that it is a mute swam. Trumpeter swans have a straight bill.

I'm going to send the photo to Idaho Fish and Game for a closer look.