Like many people, I have mixed feelings about Canada Geese as photo subjects. They’re so common, and they can be so tame, I seldom photograph them unless they’re in flight. This time of year, flocks of them regularly fly low and noisily over my house and the sights and sounds of them flying in V formations stir my primal and photographic juices. But I almost never have my photo gear handy when they fly over my house because they always do so unexpectedly.
A week ago today, as I opened my garage door just prior to visiting some local ponds for bird photography, a huge flock of geese flew low and loud, just barely skimming over the neighborhood trees. They were close and in great morning light and there I was with my gear only a few feet away in my pickup but I knew it would take me too long to retrieve it and get some photos. So I just watched and listened to them with a mix of enjoyment, admiration and frustration.
But less than 15 minutes later, after I arrived at one of the ponds, I had another chance.
While I was trying to photograph a female kingfisher, I heard and eventually saw another flock of geese flying low and coming right at me. These are grab shots of two of the dozen or so geese I randomly chose to focus on.
Canada Geese form long-term pair bonds that are rarely relinquished until death and males are slightly larger than females. So it’s possible, even likely, that these two are a mated pair with the slightly larger and darker male at bottom.
They continued to fly together. The presumed female is missing some flight feathers.
The tree at bottom left is an indication of how low they were flying. I believe they were thinking about landing on the pond but they ended up circling around and going elsewhere.
The presumed male, up close and personal. After this shot they were past me.
I realize that Canada Geese may be unlikely to generate much enthusiasm amongst some of my readers but they have feathers and they aren’t invasive so they’re fair game for this bird photographer. Our avian landscapes would be pretty barren without them.
Ron
I love Canada Geese! 😀
I think you caught the majesty of these birds. I love hearing them call as they fly over as I am out walking. It is a restful sound and it is a hopeful sound.
Thank You,
Kaye
They really are rather handsome birds and do enjoying seeing them in the farmers fields in the fall/winter. But the mess in parks and don’t even think about getting within a hundred feet of them in the spring with their goslings!
Great photos as always!
Great images. An exotic species down here in NZ with the same views amongst some about their droppings on pasture but still popular amongst many of us.
There’s a song on the BareNaked Ladies’ album SnackTime (meant for kids, but great for grownups, too) – “Here Come the Geese”. It makes me cry every time I listen to it. “Here come the geese! Flying in a V formation…..” The other day on the Columbia River at Vantage, there must have been a thousand of them, swimming and honking. They may be common, but I always find them magical. Thanks for letting them be the stars today.
“Thanks for letting them be the stars today.”
Carolyn, I should do it more often.
“Birds is birds” and they’re all fair game for your camera, as far as I’m concerned. And I love imagining this mated pair caught in your lens have traveled many miles together over many years and will travel many more before they’re done. Thanks for sharing their “story”! ❤️
“I love imagining this mated pair caught in your lens have traveled many miles together over many years”
It’s very possible, Chris. The average life span of Canada Geese ranges from 10-24 years. Some live more than 30 and one is documented to have lived for over 40 years.
Love the geese and look forward to their migration every year. Huge flocks fly over our house each morning headed for the Indian Reservation. They return to a nearby golf course pond every evening. We fondly refer to them as the ‘commuter train.’
“Commuter train” – I like that.
Not something I would ever see hear – so I would greet them with enthusiasm. As I do almost any bird.
Am I right in thinking that missing flight feathers would make flying harder? How long do they take to grow back in (and I am aware that this is an ignorant question)?
Not ignorant questions, EC. Not in the least.
Geese molt all or most their flight feathers pretty much at the same time so for 38-40 days in the summer they’re unable to fly. During that time they hang out in the middle of large bodies of water for safety reasons while they’re completely flightless. For obvious reasons, researchers choose that time to capture and band them.
While they’re flightless they’re often called “flappers” because all they can do to escape danger is flap and run across the water.
How can anyone not love geese? Ya, they leave “reminders” on lawns, but that just reminds me of Leopolds wonderful essay…. “By this international commerce of geese, the waste corn of Illinois is carried through the clouds to the Arctic tundras: there to combine with the waste sunlight of a nightIess June to grow goslings for all the lands between. And in this annual barter of food for light, and winter warmth for summer solitude, the whole continent receives as net profit a wild poem dropped from the murky skies upon the muds of March.”
Love the Leopold quote, Kent.
love this!
I love the “Honkers” and we have a few that stay in my area, but I don’t see them very often walking on the ground. I am loosing my hearing but love the noise when they migrate thru here. Nice pictures of several in flight.
Thanks, Trudy. I hope your hearing doesn’t get any worse.
I have so many fond memories of being out in my yard, raking leaves, feeling the gentle heat of the autumn sun on my back, and then hearing the far off call of Canada Geese flying overhead. I would stop my joyful work and just listen and watch. As Mary Oliver so beautifully put it “harsh and exciting.”
Thanks, Ron, for the memories and the beautiful photos.
Cathryn
Cathryn, when geese fly overhead in formation, I don’t see how anyone could resist watching them. And listening to them.
I too have mixed feelings about Honkers, especially when walking over a grassy that they have recently occupied. However, I am unambiguously delighted by these photos. Wonderful shots.
Interesting that the sexual dimorphism is exactly opposite that of raptors.
Michael, there isn’t much difference in size between the sexes but it can be noticeable.
I admired these portraits of single and paired Canada geese- we
are so used to seeing flight V’s and large gaggles of them pictured
that I think we often fail to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of their markings, their strong, muscular bodies, and those long powerful
wings. I think that it is a singularly American trait to take for granted
anything we perceive as abundant, and turn a blind eye to its
individual beauty…….
Kris, I think you’re spot on with your last sentence.
Nice! We’ve been having several HUGE flocks flying high heading south or just to a different field lately with one small flock of Snow Geese – a surprise this late in the year!
Tho “common” I always have to gaze on them awhile…… 😉
Judy, I presume Freezeout Lake is frozen solid by now. If not, maybe your geese, both species, are coming from there.
May have been checking out Big Sag also which, no doubt, is frozen.
I’m unfamiliar with Big Sag so I had to look it up. Wow, it’s quite close to you.
It is! That being said due to size and saline levels, particularly this time of year, they don’t tend to stay long. There are several smaller bodies of water like it in the vicinity tho I don’t know what kind of useage they get………
I love them Ron. We have hundreds upon hundreds here and most stay year round. We live on a golf course and in the winter much to the dismay of course maintenance we have more than 200 and also joined by a hundred or more American Wigeons. I have taken many take offs and in-flights, but of course never as good as yours.
One of the many forms of wildlife that many photographers ignore but shouldn’t.
“One of the many forms of wildlife that many photographers ignore but shouldn’t.”
I ignore them too often, Everett. Gotta change my ways.
I agree that some are relatively domesticated, however living in middle Vermont we do have Canada Geese that migrate North to Canada in the spring and migrate South in the Fall. Interesting that they seem to be at a similar time as the Snow Geese, at least they show up in the Fall at the same time. I personally think they are a beautiful bird. Many thanks for your images, much appreciated!!
Thank you, Dick. I keep looking for the odd Snow Goose amongst our Canada Geese but so far this year I’ve struck out.