![\"canada](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/canada-goose-3578-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a01\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, 500 f\/4 II, 1.4 tc,\u00a0not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0About ten days ago I was photographing mostly ducks on Willow Pond when several groups of Canada Geese (calling them “Canadian Geese” is technically incorrect)\u00a0flew in to rest (I thought) on the pond.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, 500 f\/4 II, 1.4 tc,\u00a0not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Photographing birds this large and this close in flight is quite an adjustment for me.\u00a0 It seems that my teleconverter\u00a0is never attached\u00a0or unattached to the best advantage and I miss a lot of shots during the swapping process so I generally left it on and took what I got.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, 640 f\/4 II, 1.4 tc. not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n This time of year these birds can weigh up to 10 pounds (females lose over 40% of their body mass during incubation) so it takes a lot of effort for them\u00a0to become airborne.\u00a0 Watching the process, whether they’re taking off\u00a0from land or from water, is impressive.\u00a0 And loud.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a01\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, 640 f\/4 II, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n This amorous pair put on quite a show as they mated.\u00a0 Actual copulation was preceded by head-dipping and then both birds stretched their necks, lifted their chins and called out loudly so I was pretty sure that mating would follow.\u00a0\u00a0 It did.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0During the process the male grasped the feathers on the upper neck of the female and…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a01\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, 640 f\/4 II, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0held on very tightly.\u00a0 The female’s head and neck were twisted around fairly violently during the process.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a01\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D, 640 f\/4 II, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0When the male dismounted he still had a beak-full of her neck feathers and he kept them there for some time after mating which made me wonder if that was part of the ritual.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n