Ten Thousand Saw I At a Glance – Snow Geese

As I crested the hill all I could think of was  “Ten thousand saw I at a glance”

But my thoughts were not dancing with daffodils but flying with snow geese

Their numbers mimicked a snowy field

And when they took to the sky they cast a dark shadow on the ground

As I got closer the beauty of individual members began to emerge

 

More than a sea of white feathers the colors of a foggy morning began to stand out

And when they soared skyward for the final time their black tipped wings faded in the distance

To see snow geese in previous years check out

Feeding Two Birds with One Seed

Snow Geese in Flight Winter Delight

Fly Away

 

Fly Away

As the Polar Vortex crept closer

Clouds and sun combined to create an eerie foreshadowing of what was to come

Snow geese rose from fields of frozen earth

Colors promising warmth teased all earthly creatures

Others chose to fly away home

Snow Geese in Flight – Winter Delight

The Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania has astonishing  natural events that occur on a yearly cycle. One in particular occurs every winter.

During the winter months tens of thousands of Snow Geese undulate in seemingly never-ending threads across the winter sky.  

Barren fields appear white as snow as each bird gleans what it can from harvested crops. 

These beautiful, gentle birds winter throughout  the United States and Mexico.  Along the Atlantic coast Greater Snow Geese can be found as far south as South Carolina.

Occasionally birds banded through a project conducted by the Université Laval can be found feeding amongst  the  thousands wintering in the valley. 

www.cen.ulaval.ca/gon-gsg/en_description.aspx

Once spring approaches Snow Geese journey northward to nesting grounds in the High Arctic tundra. In this cold desolate landscape they lay their eggs and raise their young.

Distribution of the Greater Snow Goose

Only one population of Greater Snow Geese exists in the world. It is almost entirely confined to the Atlantic flyway of North America. Greater Snow Geese breed in the Canadian High Arctic, from the Foxe Basin to Alert on northern Ellesmere Island. Some breeding colonies can also be found on the western coast of Greenland. This makes the Greater Snow Goose one of the most northerly breeding geese in the world. It winters along the United States Atlantic coast, from New Jersey to South Carolina, with major concentrations around Delaware and Chesapeake bays.

from:  www.hww.ca/en/species/birds/greater-snow-goose.html

To find out more about this migration and to see the photos of last year’s flocks click on any of the links.

theirisandthelily.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/a-field-of-white/

Thank you for dropping by.  If you’re so inclined, please let me know what you think!  Enjoy your day

Feeding Two Birds With One Seed

Today I pay homage to fellow bloggers, Ron Slaven and Tom Hutton.   My first seed is shared with fellow blogger, Rob Slaven. On Sunday I read his post on the Tattered Thread.          tthread.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/the-bane-of-expectations/

He questioned the act of purposefully looking for that perfect photo.  I commented I did not have the desired focus or mental strength to pursue the perfect photo and often let things slip away.  This morning on my way to work I learned there are some things I will deviate for and purposefully pursue.

My second “seed” is reserved for my fellow blogger Tom Hutton at Tootlepedal’s blog, A look at life in the borders.  Tom  so eloquently describes his daily outings.  One of those outings took him to Gretna.  There he photographed a wonderous sight, starlings in flight.   Today’s photos are reminiscent of his capture.

tootlepedal.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/here-and-there/

Please stop back to see more of this wonderous sight!

Thank you for dropping by.  If you’re so inclined, please let me know what you think!  Enjoy your day