Whenever I have been outside over the last several days, my ears are filled with the sounds of spring. Our small creek is roaring with the sound of the snow from the forest melting and running off. The smalll birds are twittering and tweeting all through the woods and from above, the constant honk of Canadian geese moving northward. Huge flocks with hundreds of geese soar high overhead in flying vees, one after another. It seems as though on some days there is hardly a break in their migration.
This year, for the first time, we have seen very large groups of the beautiful white snow geese fly over. I’m sure they must have went over in the past but somehow over the years they have eluded our sight. It was stunning to see a recent group that flew over at a very low altitude. It was a very large flock and their braying honks filled the air. As they passed the sun perfectly lit their wide white wings, giving them a glow and showing the black tips in stark contrast.
Just beautiful.
They’re a pretty amazing bird. We’ve been fortunate a few times to have a family reside for the summer on our pond. Although I could do without the incredible amount of crap they produce, they are great to observe. They are exemplary parents, keenly observant of every move of their offspring and everything anywhere near their location. They keep the young in line with scolding honks and as the summer progresses they make the pond a clasroom as they teach each gosling the proper way to take to flight from the water. When all have learned and have made several short flights, they begin to think about joining the larger flock that gathers a mile or so away at a larger lake and soon they are gone for the year.
Heading further south for open waters to spend their winter.
And the cycle continues and once again they are honking overhead.
Redtree Times 