2310_2749 Snow Geese
The thing about a prairie winter is that it arrives incrementally. Light overnight frosts become heavier. A few flakes swirling down are a prelude to accumulation - but then it all melts and we bask in relative warmth for a few more days, or even weeks. Finally, the inevitable plunges in temperature and the arrival of more snow, this time the kind that stays. Which finally happened this week. That's very late, but we knew all along it was coming.
While this transition is taking place, wildlife go about their business. Species after species disappear, starting with the shorebirds. By late October, only the hardiest migratory birds remain here in southwestern Saskatchewan: ducks, geese, swans, a few hawks and eagles. We won't mention the year round avian residents; they belong in a different category.
I look forward to the Snow Goose migration. They stage at various medium-size to large lakes, and in the right light, in their tens of thousands, they can be quite a spectacle. In 2023, however, I was disappointed. During the key times not once did we get a golden late fall day with spectacular light. But I did see a small flock while driving through the hills, on the ice at the edge of a mostly frozen lake, and was able to stop the car, get out, and grab a few shots. I'm an opportunist. It seems to be necessary, as wildlife can be unpredictable, and encounters can happen when you least expect them. Like this one.
Photographed south of Cadillac, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2023 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
2310_2749 Snow Geese
The thing about a prairie winter is that it arrives incrementally. Light overnight frosts become heavier. A few flakes swirling down are a prelude to accumulation - but then it all melts and we bask in relative warmth for a few more days, or even weeks. Finally, the inevitable plunges in temperature and the arrival of more snow, this time the kind that stays. Which finally happened this week. That's very late, but we knew all along it was coming.
While this transition is taking place, wildlife go about their business. Species after species disappear, starting with the shorebirds. By late October, only the hardiest migratory birds remain here in southwestern Saskatchewan: ducks, geese, swans, a few hawks and eagles. We won't mention the year round avian residents; they belong in a different category.
I look forward to the Snow Goose migration. They stage at various medium-size to large lakes, and in the right light, in their tens of thousands, they can be quite a spectacle. In 2023, however, I was disappointed. During the key times not once did we get a golden late fall day with spectacular light. But I did see a small flock while driving through the hills, on the ice at the edge of a mostly frozen lake, and was able to stop the car, get out, and grab a few shots. I'm an opportunist. It seems to be necessary, as wildlife can be unpredictable, and encounters can happen when you least expect them. Like this one.
Photographed south of Cadillac, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2023 James R. Page - all rights reserved.