It was only last Sunday when Claudia and I saw our first flock of geese. By Wednesday the skies were filled with myriad waterfowl, a good sign that spring is almost here.
Spring offically arrives at 1:32 pm Saturday, March 20th, but thousands of geese can't be wrong. If their arrival signals an early spring, it's okay with me.
While the larger ponds and marshes are still covered with ice, throngs of Canadas have been congregating in open fields and small patches of open water.
Some geese took advantage of the open water....
while others waddled in slushy snow.
A lone goose glides over the phragmites.
Preparing to touch down.
The respite is over...
once again heading for an unknown destination.
All photos were taken off Roberts Road along the southern perimeter of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Special thanks to my grandson, Sammy, for his assistance!
I love the sound of geese in
I love the sound of geese in the spring. They were sure honking up a storm this morning. Very nice photos by the way.
Great photos, Jim. The other
Great photos, Jim.
The other morning I ran into a neighbor who asked if I heard the geese. Quite honestly, my attention was elsewhere, but when I looked up and saw the her smiling from ear to ear, it struck a chord.
We look forward to the return of the geese. It may be subconscious, but we do. The flyover of hundreds of geese signal the beginning of spring. We watch as they circle their favorite feeding spots and we know that warmer weather can't be far away. Another winter is in the books.
The returning geese trigger a euphoric sense of well being in us. Is that a throwback to our ancestors who marked time by nature's calendar? This past week we had two harbingers of spring; the geese and the tapping of the maple trees. This is a wonderful time of year in our neck of the woods.
Ok geese are here...now we
Ok geese are here...now we need someone to get a photo of a robin,then we know spring is definitely here! Oops,wait-the water is rising in my backyard-yep,spring is here......
Lorie Bea, Thanks
Lorie Bea,
Thanks you both for your comments and I agree with both of you. There is something special about the call of the Canadas, whether it be spring or autumn, whether it be the low flyers, cupping their wings and preparing to drop, or the faint honk of migrating geese, flying so high one can barely notice the beating of wings.
Then there is the sound of geese at night. You can hear 'em but, try as you might, you can't see 'em...
Bob,
funny you should mention the robins. Last year I saw my first robins in late January. This year I've yet to see one. I'm betting that will change real soon. And like yourself, I'm keeping an eye on the water situation. The Tonawanda - 75 yds. from where I'm now sitting - is rising.
Yep,same thing last year-saw
Yep,same thing last year-saw robins in January.However,I did see a cardinal a few mornings ago,but it had a funny color beak-like a pinkish/orangish color,usually ones I see have the yellow beak.The Black Creek behind me is receding ever so slightly now-just hope we don't get a heavy rain tomorrow.