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Post by Jamie on Nov 19, 2020 16:38:00 GMT -8
In Sardis at Knight Rd near Vedder Rd there were 1,151 Snow Geese flying over. They were pretty high up but I could hear their different call. When they were against the blue sky I could see that they were white birds with black wingtips.
I quickly scanned the flock as they went past and could see that they were all light-colored geese except for a dark one which was likely either a dark-morph Snow Goose or a Cackling Goose, so I didn't count it as I couldn't be 100% sure.
I took a picture of the whole flock with my phone.
I used the "dot counting method" to count the flock. I ended up with a total tally of 1,152, but then subtracted the one bird I was unsure of.
By far the most Snow Geese I have seen in the Fraser Valley. They were flying east towards the Agassiz area.
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Post by paulos on Nov 20, 2020 6:39:49 GMT -8
Wow, nice job on the counting!
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Post by nickinthegarden on Nov 20, 2020 9:40:43 GMT -8
Most of the time I ignore large number counts but your explanation and example makes the process very clear and valid. Thank you Jamie, always good when I learn something new.
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Post by Ben on Nov 21, 2020 12:20:43 GMT -8
More than 300 went over Sardis this morning
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Post by oldfulica on Nov 21, 2020 16:50:45 GMT -8
In Sardis at Knight Rd near Vedder Rd there were 1,151 Snow Geese flying over. They were pretty high up but I could hear their different call. When they were against the blue sky I could see that they were white birds with black wingtips.
You got me thinking about the geese we saw the same day Jaime. We saw 5 huge waves like this, all about the same size, and they looked dark against the pale clouds so I assumed Canada geese.. (Should never make assumptions). The flocks we saw were heading west. I wonder if these were Snow Geese from Wrangel Island in the USSR that migrate down the coast. Many drop into Riefel from Wrangell.
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Post by hank on Nov 21, 2020 23:39:39 GMT -8
065 by henry wall, on Flickr This morning at 9AM flying NE over the Sumas River.
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Post by oldfulica on Nov 22, 2020 8:44:08 GMT -8
065 by henry wall, on Flickr This morning at 9AM flying NE over the Sumas River. Looks like they are still streaming in. I have seen them in the Skagit Valley in Washington and Colusa reserve in California which are big wintering areas, in years past.
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Post by gabi on Nov 25, 2020 17:00:51 GMT -8
Lesser Snow Goose - (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) by Gabi Cuff, on Flickr Not sure if from the same flock that you spotted Jamie... I was on the Sumas Prairie on Nov. 21 and also witnessed many hundreds of Snow geese - from far away I also first thought they were Cacklers... (noisy) and then realized Snow Geese. I have a couple of pics and they in no way represent the numbers that there were. Many 100s - and I am sorry Jamie - did not take the time to count them! A thrill to watch - they circled 6 - 8 times, ever lower and I thought they would land in the agricultural field and then for some reason, they all climbed up again and split into two groups - both heading south west - one group in front of me with mountain backdrop and the other on other side of the dyck. I had about 15 - 20 mins of pure joy and entertainment. And perhaps there is a dark morph in the bottom pic? Certainly more snow geese in my neck of the woods than I am used to seeing here. Lesser Snow Goose - (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) by Gabi Cuff, on Flickr
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