"Watching huge flocks of Snow Geese swirl down from the sky, amid a cacophony of honking, is a little like standing inside a snow globe. These loud, white-and-black geese can cover the ground in a snowy blanket as they eat their way across fallow cornfields or wetlands. Among them, you might see a dark form with a white head—a color variant called the “Blue Goose.” Snow Geese have skyrocketed in numbers and are now among the most abundant waterfowl on the continent.

The dark color of the blue morph Snow Goose is controlled by a single gene, with dark being partially dominant over white. If a pure dark goose mates with a white goose, the offspring will all be dark (possibly with white bellies). If two white geese mate, they have only white offspring. If two dark geese mate, they will have mostly dark offspring, but might have a few white ones too." From AllAboutBirds.

Yesterday, 12 October 2021, I stayed home in the morning to wait for a landscaper who had arranged to come and look at my tiny backyard late morning and give me an estimate for putting down desperately needed new grass that I want putting down from fence to fence. A last minute phone call let me know that he had been called out on something urgent, so had to cancel So, I got ready as fast as I could and dashed out east of the city in hopes of finding the Snow Geese that people have been reporting. I was in luck, though the maybe 300 or so birds were a long way off. I don't often go out looking for birds that are reported, but I thought it would be nice to see some Snow Geese, that I rarely see. Not a good spot for parking/pulling over, but I was either the only person there or just one other. These really are beautiful birds - and very vocal. I managed to take one video of them noisily in flight, taken from inside my car and looking across the passenger seat. Not the best video, as I kept getting the edge of the door included. However, it was so windy that I stayed inside.

After spending some time watching these beautiful, migrating birds, I drove a few mainly familiar roads before heading home. Just enough time to find a few, previously photographed barns.

Tags:   Alberta Canada E of Calgary nature wildlife avian ornithology bird goose Snow Goose Anser caerulescens 1 blue morph Blue Goose swimming water slough

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"Watching huge flocks of Snow Geese swirl down from the sky, amid a cacophony of honking, is a little like standing inside a snow globe. These loud, white-and-black geese can cover the ground in a snowy blanket as they eat their way across fallow cornfields or wetlands. Among them, you might see a dark form with a white head—a color variant called the “Blue Goose.” Snow Geese have skyrocketed in numbers and are now among the most abundant waterfowl on the continent.

The dark color of the blue morph Snow Goose is controlled by a single gene, with dark being partially dominant over white. If a pure dark goose mates with a white goose, the offspring will all be dark (possibly with white bellies). If two white geese mate, they have only white offspring. If two dark geese mate, they will have mostly dark offspring, but might have a few white ones too." From AllAboutBirds.

Yesterday, 12 October 2021, I stayed home in the morning to wait for a landscaper who had arranged to come and look at my tiny backyard late morning and give me an estimate for putting down desperately needed new grass that I want putting down from fence to fence. A last minute phone call let me know that he had been called out on something urgent, so had to cancel So, I got ready as fast as I could and dashed out east of the city in hopes of finding the Snow Geese that people have been reporting. I was in luck, though the maybe 300 or so birds were a long way off. I don't often go out looking for birds that are reported, but I thought it would be nice to see some Snow Geese, that I rarely see. Not a good spot for parking/pulling over, but I was either the only person there or just one other. These really are beautiful birds - and very vocal. I managed to take one video of them noisily in flight, taken from inside my car and looking across the passenger seat. Not the best video, as I kept getting the edge of the door included. However, it was so windy that I stayed inside.

After spending some time watching these beautiful, migrating birds, I drove a few mainly familiar roads before heading home. Just enough time to find a few, previously photographed barns.

© All Rights Reserved

"Watching huge flocks of Snow Geese swirl down from the sky, amid a cacophony of honking, is a little like standing inside a snow globe. These loud, white-and-black geese can cover the ground in a snowy blanket as they eat their way across fallow cornfields or wetlands. Among them, you might see a dark form with a white head—a color variant called the “Blue Goose.” Snow Geese have skyrocketed in numbers and are now among the most abundant waterfowl on the continent.

The dark color of the blue morph Snow Goose is controlled by a single gene, with dark being partially dominant over white. If a pure dark goose mates with a white goose, the offspring will all be dark (possibly with white bellies). If two white geese mate, they have only white offspring. If two dark geese mate, they will have mostly dark offspring, but might have a few white ones too." From AllAboutBirds.

Yesterday, 12 October 2021, I stayed home in the morning to wait for a landscaper who had arranged to come and look at my tiny backyard late morning and give me an estimate for putting down desperately needed new grass that I want putting down from fence to fence. A last minute phone call let me know that he had been called out on something urgent, so had to cancel So, I got ready as fast as I could and dashed out east of the city in hopes of finding the Snow Geese that people have been reporting. I was in luck, though the maybe 300 or so birds were a long way off. I don't often go out looking for birds that are reported, but I thought it would be nice to see some Snow Geese, that I rarely see. Not a good spot for parking/pulling over, but I was either the only person there or just one other. These really are beautiful birds - and very vocal. I managed to take one video of them noisily in flight, taken from inside my car and looking across the passenger seat. Not the best video, as I kept getting the edge of the door included. However, it was so windy that I stayed inside.

After spending some time watching these beautiful, migrating birds, I drove a few mainly familiar roads before heading home. Just enough time to find a few, previously photographed barns.

© All Rights Reserved

"Watching huge flocks of Snow Geese swirl down from the sky, amid a cacophony of honking, is a little like standing inside a snow globe. These loud, white-and-black geese can cover the ground in a snowy blanket as they eat their way across fallow cornfields or wetlands. Among them, you might see a dark form with a white head—a color variant called the “Blue Goose.” Snow Geese have skyrocketed in numbers and are now among the most abundant waterfowl on the continent.

The dark color of the blue morph Snow Goose is controlled by a single gene, with dark being partially dominant over white. If a pure dark goose mates with a white goose, the offspring will all be dark (possibly with white bellies). If two white geese mate, they have only white offspring. If two dark geese mate, they will have mostly dark offspring, but might have a few white ones too." From AllAboutBirds.

Yesterday, 12 October 2021, I stayed home in the morning to wait for a landscaper who had arranged to come and look at my tiny backyard late morning and give me an estimate for putting down desperately needed new grass that I want putting down from fence to fence. A last minute phone call let me know that he had been called out on something urgent, so had to cancel So, I got ready as fast as I could and dashed out east of the city in hopes of finding the Snow Geese that people have been reporting. I was in luck, though the maybe 300 or so birds were a long way off. I don't often go out looking for birds that are reported, but I thought it would be nice to see some Snow Geese, that I rarely see. Not a good spot for parking/pulling over, but I was either the only person there or just one other. These really are beautiful birds - and very vocal. I managed to take one video of them noisily in flight, taken from inside my car and looking across the passenger seat. Not the best video, as I kept getting the edge of the door included. However, it was so windy that I stayed inside.

After spending some time watching these beautiful, migrating birds, I drove a few mainly familiar roads before heading home. Just enough time to find a few, previously photographed barns.

© All Rights Reserved

"Watching huge flocks of Snow Geese swirl down from the sky, amid a cacophony of honking, is a little like standing inside a snow globe. These loud, white-and-black geese can cover the ground in a snowy blanket as they eat their way across fallow cornfields or wetlands. Among them, you might see a dark form with a white head—a color variant called the “Blue Goose.” Snow Geese have skyrocketed in numbers and are now among the most abundant waterfowl on the continent.

The dark color of the blue morph Snow Goose is controlled by a single gene, with dark being partially dominant over white. If a pure dark goose mates with a white goose, the offspring will all be dark (possibly with white bellies). If two white geese mate, they have only white offspring. If two dark geese mate, they will have mostly dark offspring, but might have a few white ones too." From AllAboutBirds.

Yesterday, 12 October 2021, I stayed home in the morning to wait for a landscaper who had arranged to come and look at my tiny backyard late morning and give me an estimate for putting down desperately needed new grass that I want putting down from fence to fence. A last minute phone call let me know that he had been called out on something urgent, so had to cancel So, I got ready as fast as I could and dashed out east of the city in hopes of finding the Snow Geese that people have been reporting. I was in luck, though the maybe 300 or so birds were a long way off. I don't often go out looking for birds that are reported, but I thought it would be nice to see some Snow Geese, that I rarely see. Not a good spot for parking/pulling over, but I was either the only person there or just one other. These really are beautiful birds - and very vocal. I managed to take one video of them noisily in flight, taken from inside my car and looking across the passenger seat. Not the best video, as I kept getting the edge of the door included. However, it was so windy that I stayed inside.

After spending some time watching these beautiful, migrating birds, I drove a few mainly familiar roads before heading home. Just enough time to find a few, previously photographed barns.

© All Rights Reserved