When thoughts of geese come to mind, no doubt, most people begin to think about the Canada goose. Once a goose that was threatened, now the Canada goose is flourishing. Few, however, think of another goose that is seen in in various parts throughout the US during migration. That goose is the snow goose.
Boasting numbers of flocks over 100,000 strong, this 6 pound bird is seen heavily during the spring migration. From their homes in the southern US and farther, they begin a migration to their breeding grounds in the Canada tundra.
Along the way, these birds stop in places like Pocosin Lake, NC and Middle Creek Lake, PA. In February, I traveled up to Middle Creek to photograph this amazing event.
I arrived on September 17th to cold, windy and grey conditions. After walking down a small trail, I was met with the main flock on the lake. At this time, they were roughly 58,000 in number and they constantly called out in their distinct honk. I wasn't sure what to think at first as they didn't seem to be doing much. I was thinking, "I drove all this way for this?"
I waited for what seemed like a very long time and in fact it was about two hours. Then, suddenly a bald eagle flew over them, putting the entire flock to flight. When they took off, they were so low that they barely made it over the trees and then right over our heads. A child nearby actually lay down on the ground out of fear the birds would attack him. What an experience as these thousands of birds circled overhead with a thunderous amount of hoking. It was truly an amazing experience!
For the next couple days, I photographed these amazing birds. From flight shots to medium portraits, these birds entertained and amazed me time and time again.
