Posted on March 24, 2015 in Birds, Nature, Spring, Wildlife
No, these are not statues of snow geese, they are actual snow geese. Greater Snow Geese to be exact. They almost look too perfect, don’t they? In Spring the snow geese travel from points along the East coast as far south as South Carolina and make their way to the Arctic where they breed. They can spend up to 12 hours per day feeding in Spring to build up fat reserves for migration. When migrating, they can fly at altitudes of up to 7,500 feet. When preparing to land, they may tumble to lose height in what has been described as a “falling leaf” maneuver. Over the weekend, we saw thousands of snow geese coming to join the flock from a very high altitude. The way that the sun was shining on them, they looked like glitter falling from heaven.
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!