Middle Creek Snows

Morning lift off at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area

Willard and I arrived at Middle Creek just before dawn Tuesday morning in time to witness the massive numbers of snow geese taking off from the lake as they moved to feeding areas.  Sunrise is normally a quiet time of day but at Middle Creek this time of year the babble of tens of thousands of geese rises to a roar.

A telephoto shot captures their silhouettes against the colorful predawn sky

At a location between the lake and a field where the snows were landing to feed we were able to capture passing shots of the high flying birds.

This group of snows appear to have synchronized their wing beats, creating an unusual image.

Snow geese begin arriving at Middle Creek each winter during the late winter thaw resting on the large shallow water lake and feeding in the agricultural fields in the surrounding area.  At times the population has been estimated to reach 120,000 or more birds.  The current estimate puts the count at 50,000 plus birds but numbers can change rapidly as only the geese know when they will begin moving farther north to their Arctic breeding grounds.