Posted on March 22, 2015 in Animals, Birds, Nature, Spring, Wildlife
Saturday was a phenomenal day at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area! The snow geese were feeding in a field along the tour road which made them very accessible and close! There were snow geese as far as the eye could see and they were very active! Birders, photographers and nature enthusiasts (along with a ton of cars) lined the roadway and the geese did not disappoint! Here’s an image of just a few (!!!) as they took to flight in a mass explosion of wings and feathers!
Posted on March 21, 2015 in Birds, Nature, Spring, Wildlife
I was getting up close and personal with the Snow Geese at Middle Creek Wildlife Recreation Area. I love watching the Snow Geese come in for a landing. They look like little airplanes with their wings outstretched and their ‘landing gear’ ready to touch down. It’s amazing that they never crash into other Snow Geese when they plop onto the ground – even when there are thousands of other Geese in their path.
Posted on March 20, 2015 in Animals, Birds, Nature, Wildlife, Winter
According to the park staff, the best time to visit Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area during the snow geese migration is either 6:30 AM or 6:30 PM. The geese and swans roost on the lake during the night and so in the morning, you have the opportunity to watch them awaken at sunrise and take off in large numbers to go out to nearby fields to feed for the day. In the evening, the geese and swans return to the lake by the thousands and settle in for the night amidst a flurry of loud honking and flapping wings. Being at the park during migration is an unforgettable experience!
Posted on March 17, 2015 in Birds, Nature, Wildlife, Winter
The most recent snow goose count at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area is 110,000. Now that is a LOT of birds! I was chatting with one of the park rangers over the weekend and asked how they go about providing the estimates. He told me that they go to a spot on top of the mountain at daybreak and have a method for counting geese as they take flight from the lake. The snow geese roost on the lake overnight and then fly out to nearby fields to feed during the day. As the geese take off in the morning, the rangers count off the birds in groups of 5,000. Today’s image features a large group of snow geese taking to flight from the ice-covered lake and heading in my direction just before sunset. What a sight!
Posted on March 16, 2015 in Birds, Landscape, Nature, Wildlife, Winter
Actually, it was a cold and windy afternoon! As the sun was setting on Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, the snow geese were returning to the frozen lake to roost for the night. Throughout the day, they were feeding in the fields surrounding the lake. All 75,000 of them. A hardy bunch of birders and nature enthusiasts watched and photographed as the sky filled with snow geese, Canada geese and tundra swans. This image shows the viewing area at Willow Point Trail – a favorite spot for photographers!