1949 Feb. 5 - Eastern part of Victoria Idl, or Norhen Lake Tract, 10 mi. W & 3 mi S of Stockton San Joaquin County, Calif. - about 250 swans, in groups of 10 to 60 or more, were seen from state hi.way #4. They were on the ground in open, weedy & muddy fields, apparently feeding by grubbing in the mud. - 3+ mi. W of Thornton, northwestern San Joaquin Co., Caly. 30 more swans, in 2 groups, down on recently plowed & unplowed asparagus fields. The unplowed portions had a good deal of dried up & matted down asparagus plants still on them & numerous red "berries" still on the branches as well as on the ground. altho it couldn't be determined for sure that the swans were eating these, they were certainly getting something off these fields - and the only visible vegetable food was the asparagus. a farmer whom we contacted here says he thinks they eat the asparagus berries. I took 3 photographs on kodachrome 828 film of a part of these birds (2 on ground, 1 in flight) - 4½ mi. W of Thornton, northwestern San Joaquin Co., Calif - about 120 more swans in middle of huge flock of feeding Pintails [see sp. account] on muddy plowed field at extreme northern end of "Staten Island" (new fork in Mokelumme River)