23 March 2015

Flocks of snow geese

On Saturday, when we were driving around lost in the northeast corner of North Carolina, on the flat coastal plain, we kept seeing huge flocks of white birds in the distance, out over the wide farm fields along the edge of the road. They were veritable swarms or clouds of birds, swooping and turning as they flew so that the sunlight reflected off their wings and bodies to great visual effect. The flocks seemed to disappear and reappear without warning.


We were driving along a straight road with no other traffic on it and with a wide treeless shoulder when we spotted a large group of white birds sitting in a field. I was able to pull the car off the road and get out to take a few photos.


The birds were obviously geese, and a search on the Internet tells me they were white snow geese that migrate northward in springtime to get to their breeding grounds in northern Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. The North Carolina Outer Banks and coastal plain are under their flyway.


As you can see, my "old" Lumix camera does a pretty good job of zooming and then focusing on distant subjects. I've had it since 2012. Now I've ordered a newer model Lumix (called the ZS30 in the U.S. and the TZ40 in Europe) with an even longer zoom lens. It's waiting for me in Saint-Aignan, where I will be returning on Tuesday.


Both the old and new Lumix cameras have a long zoom and a really wide wide-angle lens. I hope I'll be as happy with the new one as I have been with the one I'm leaving behind in North Carolina. Don't forget that you can click or tap on the images in this post to display them at full size.

16 comments:

  1. Wow! It reminds of the flocks of those birds I could see at the Salton Sea, which is under their western flyway to Canada and Alaska.

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  2. Ken, yesterday you mentioned Edenton NC, which calls itself the prettiest town in the South, and I pretty much agree. Can I plug their biennial house tour? It's coming up April 17 and 18. E and I will be going. I have encouraged all my friends to go there at least once. I know some of you live within the sound of my voice (ha!) and could get there, so I thought I'd mention it. It's a beautiful location and the houses are lovely.

    Here's a link, and then back to your regularly scheduled blogger:

    http://edentonpilgrimage.org/homes.php

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    Replies
    1. Wish I could be there for that event, Carolyn. Hope you have a great trip in April.

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  3. I hope you really enjoyed your visit :) Safe travels tomorrow!

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  4. Yes, Spring and Fall they fly over us, in great squadrons, honking honking . They often stop for a bite and a rest in the fields behind our home .. Everywhere near my home is Posted:No Hunting so the geese know they can rest and eat without worry. They mostly stay out of my yard, which is good, they do leave a bit of a mess behind. I love watching them fly over .. honk honk :)

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  5. Love seeing a migration flock right here. We have a flock of Canada geese on our lake. I love to hear their honks- but I live a few houses away from their loudness and also their messy leavings.

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    1. I wonder if these snow geese are not quite as dirty as the Canada geese.

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    2. Ken & Evelyn...
      all geese are messy!
      The Snow Geese will make as much of a mess as Evelyn's Canada Geese...
      it is fine to see them in huge flocks on migration...
      not so nice if they live next door on arrival at each end of the route...
      geese crop grass very close.... and then ess-aitch-one-tee on it...
      this makes river and lake banks very messy...
      and very dangerous for the young and old, or frail.
      But the mere sight of a huge flock of large birds on migration...
      is wondrous!!

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  6. Wow what a fabulous opportunity. And that's a great pano! Good work.

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  7. Bonnes fins de vacances et bon voyage!

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  8. OMG what a big farm. My cousin who runs farm has 300 geese

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    1. Gosia...
      it is not a farm of geese...
      these wild birds are on migration from the South of the US to their breeding grounds in the Tundra near the Arctic Circle...
      occasionally some get it totally wrong and come back down through Europe!!
      Ringing has shown that they usually get it right the next time.

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  9. What a sight! No wonder people get all poetic over snow geese.

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  10. At my departure gate in Atlanta on time. Hope my suitcase makes it, given the very short connection time. Bye y'all.

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  11. As you'll read this later today....
    welcome home!!

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