I walk for wellness but this morning I came home with a stiff neck! I watched wave after wave of geese flying high and with purpose, all moving in a northerly direction. Three or four thousand birds passed overhead in an hour, many of them so high they were more easily heard than seen, dark specs strung out across the puffy white clouds.
Some flocks were Canada Geese…
while others were Snow Geese.
Photos by NB Hunter. © All Rights Reserved.
It’s a beautiful sight!
Agree! But, also hoping that the extreme fluctuation in weather doesn’t wreak havoc on biological clocks as it did last year. There were honeybees at the bird feeders today (60 degrees)…..and nasty cold/snow is on the way. Very disconcerting.
We live close to the Washita River so all winter we hear the geese! I see them fly overhead most mornings and evenings. The sound can be deafening at times.
Interesting. We have both resident and migratory Canada geese, most of which have become quite a nuisance. Snow geese on the other hand are more of a novelty. We only see them during migration and don’t often see them up close and personal. I’m hoping that the approaching storm will force some to stop and rest/feed in our farm fields.
Is this early for them? Some redbud trees have bloomed here in Missouri, much too early, along with daffodils. We went from 80º yesterday to 50º today and could drop to 20º tonight.
Yes. These extreme fluxuations in weather are alarming from an ecological point of view. A similar pattern last year resulted in much winter kill of woody plants (mostly shrubs) that had been forced out of dormancy prematurely.
Oh, my! I love these shots and often find myself transfixed by the flight patterns of birds. Great shots, Nick.
Thanks Jane. I love a patchy blue sky and was thrilled when these 2 flocks honked into view right where I hoped they would (most didn’t)!
A sight and sound I absolutely love! Sorry to hear of the stiff neck, but sometimes it just can’t be helped.
Here in New England the sound of Canada Geese overhead marks the real change of the seasons. Your pictures are beautiful.
Thanks Holly. You’re right about the sound of geese overhead although the strain of “resident” geese in Central New York can deaden the senses a bit. Yesterday a flock of red-winged blackbirds appeared in the big oak at the edge of the yard – another harbinger of spring in these parts!
It’s true about the redwing-blackbirds. They’re staking out their territory here now. But something about those geese flying high overhead is more.. well global in feel.
I’m a student of the writings of Aldo Leopold, who said: “One swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of March thaw, is the Spring.” ….I wish I’d put this in my post!
Love your photography it looks amazing
Thanks Adell. I’m glad you liked it and perhaps, in posts like this one, you will find inspiration for your graphic design creations!
Definitely inspiring! What camera do you use for your photography ?
I have a modest, mid-priced DSLR system (“prosumer”)
that includes a Nikon D7100 body, several Nikon lenses that embrace wide angle to 300 mm, and a couple of tripods. I usually carry just one lens, two at the most, and rely on close encounters to compensate for the absence of big telephoto lenses. Honestly, the photography world, including the media for viewing photos, is changing so rapidly ..I have no idea what I would buy if I was just entering the field!