My wife and I took a drive down to Middle Creek Waterfowl Propagation Area yesterday to see some "Northern Travelers." We were not disappointed! Figure there were around 75-100,000 Snow geese? This is what happens when a Bald eagle comes too close:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4672/26392378028_263514fe3e_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GdcQuu)MVI_3225 (https://flic.kr/p/GdcQuu) by David Paul (https://www.flickr.com/photos/149878034@N03/), on Flickr
He must have taken, or found a dead one. As he soon landed on the ice edge way across the water and started feeding. (Pardon the grainy photo. He was over a half mile away I'm guessing? I took it off hand).
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4677/40220483732_2664b3a133_z.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4754/38454785430_bf12f0d16b_z.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4724/40220483772_f6e5bd1df5_z.jpg)
It was a nice morning. Thanks for looking!
HuntnCarve
Dave
Can you shoot them flying pillows? I enjoy watching an eagle raising the geese off a slough in it's search of week birds. Thanks for sharing.
Barrry, the season for them is in till April 20th in this area. I have never hunted them myself. Driving around these parts you will see decoy set ups. Most guys find out where they are feeding. Then set up at that exact spot the very next day. These geese are pretty wary, as they've been shot at the entire Atlantic seaboard. There were some Tundra swans down there too. I like listening to the swans as they pass over the house. Sound like a bunch of flutes being played. The Snow geese don't stick around too long. But it's a yearly event in these parts. I've seen over half a million of them at Middle Creek years past. Quite a sight!
Dave
That's a LOT of geese! I love the racket when thousands of them lift off at once. Wish I could have joined you to see that in person. I haven't seen those kinds of numbers since I was a kid with my Dad on the goose wintering grounds along the Snake River. Coon hunting at night along the river when I was about 10, I got a kick out of shining our best handheld flashlight at a tight flock of them just when they would spook enough to lift off of a gravel bar. It apparently blinded them and there would be a terrific honking and whacking of wings against each other in mid-air collisions, feathers floating down.
We have a lot of bald eagles around this winter, more than usual it seems to me. Lots of them sitting in trees along the Fraser River and for miles around through the farmland. They eat a lot of ducks, besides fish from our open unfrozen water.
Dave,
Great images. Just remember to never be in the flight path of that many geese. :innocentwhistle:
Jerry
Wow!
Very cool Dave
Incredible. We never see those numbers around here. Occasionally see some large flocks about a mile high in route either north or south, but nothing ever hunt-able.
WOW, thank you. The eagle population here in AZ has greatly increased also. Almost to the point in some areas as to the small game and waterfowl population has begin to suffer.