Canada Geese

One of the things I was missing from living a bit farther North as a young boy was the occasional sighting of Canada Geese. Whether it was a single bird walking by the edge of a lake or a flock in a flying 'V' heading south, I always had a liking for these large geese.

We don't get too many here in Florida. Maybe the rare stray or weather blown and tired migrating few but it is a special day if one is reported here.

Washington state, however, was chock full of them.



Canada Geese would occasionally fly up from retention ponds just about everywhere around the Seattle/Tacoma area. We even found one standing on the shoulder of the road right at an exit ramp. Could have been hitchhiking the way he just stood there staring at the passing cars.

The pair above seemed to be arguing on which way to travel next. They were there to greet us as we stepped into the parking lot at Nisqually. Deeper into the refuge, hundreds of Canada and Cackling Geese could be seen and heard grazing in the meadow that lies between the trails.



This shot shows another flock of hundreds that set down near the visitor center as we headed toward the exit. Geese were everywhere.

My favorite shot of the geese that day took place in the ponds that are surrounded by the boardwalk at Nisqually. The sun was beginning to set and this pair sat away from the throng of geese found in the rest of the refuge.



I look forward to visiting the Canada geese again. Perhaps we can get there when the huge flocks of Snow geese are still hanging around and walking wing to wing with these black and tanned beauties.