Every winter thousands and thousands of Snow Geese overwinter in our area. Some of the farmers are paid to plant crops that will feed the Snow Geese. The Snow Geese move around the area and it is an adventure to find some in huge flocks. Two weeks ago we hit the jackpot - a single flock that was estimated (by someone who knows how to estimate the flocks) that there could be up to 75,000 in the flock we saw.
They fly in and land in the fields - sometimes it takes half an hour for all the flocks to congregate - sometimes they fly in faster - landing on the fields and never landing on top of each other.
Turn on sound and click full screen- it is amazing!
The flocks may stay for hours, feeding on the ground, or they may unexpectedly fly up and swirl about, landing nearby, or they may leave for another area - it is always exciting when it happens. I am willing to sit for most of a day waiting for a flock to fly up.
And they settle back on the ground - eating and resting and chattering.
They fly in from their nesting grounds in the Arctic Tundra.
One end of the flock.
The juveniles have beautifully colored feathers, the adults are all white, with black wing tips.
