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Post by Gord on Oct 22, 2008 22:18:05 GMT -8
At lunchtime I checked out Sardis Pond for a more in-depth look. Yesterday it was an amazing sight. The kids were impressed by the huge numbers of geese coming into the pond. This was what it looked like when you looked up! About half the birds on the pond. I could only estimate how many there were and I figure about 1,200 geese!! Well over half were Cackling in my judgment but I did not count that closely. Today they were already settled on the water. I got some better photos. A couple dozen did not make the trip from camera to computer. They were some of the best. Not sure what happened as most went over and I did not check closely until after I deleted them from my camera card. Lesson learned. Good thing there was not a picture of a UFO or Vermilion Flycatcher on it. ;D Cackling And a Canada A Canada and Cackler standing together. Kathy's Snow Goose One of four Greater White-fronted Geese These Cacklers stood out a little by looking a little paler and having lighter feather edges making them look quite 'barred'. Several had really dark breasts and/or white rings around the neck too. You cant have over a thousand geese together in a small pond and not expect this to erupt sooner than later. It's quite a sight out there! If anyone is curious to examine Cackling Geese next to Canadas this is the place. They seem to come in off the fields by about noon to rest on the pond and graze grass. I expect they leave mid afternoon for the evening feed before coming back for the night.
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Post by Gord on Oct 23, 2008 13:15:43 GMT -8
I discovered a little program that recovers files even if you accidentally deleted them! When I find the website I got it from Ill share it. Here is the rest of the photos I got of the Cackling Geese. I think this is a young one Quite the size difference. This is how long their necks go. This was during him making his high-pitched honks.
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Post by butterfly on Oct 23, 2008 22:43:43 GMT -8
Great photos, love those reflections! That must have been amazing seeing that many geese at one spot. We saw the White-throated Sparrow at GBHNR again today.
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Post by tipent111444 on Oct 24, 2008 19:04:51 GMT -8
Great shots of the geese. Must have a nice camera and lense. We attended the Aleutian Goose Festival in Crecent City CA a couple years back and were told that the Cacklers with a ring around their neck were the Aleutian Cackling Geese which migrated from the Aleutians directly to Northern California and then back. The guy in your picture must have been lost or a genetic throw back to days gone by. Nice fall weather also.
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Post by Gord on Oct 26, 2008 22:15:17 GMT -8
Hi Tipent! The little guys that winter in California I also understood to pretty much come straight through. I am not certain which subspecies of Cackling Goose we're experiencing here (provided they are not Lesser Canada Geese, which I dont think they are) but I think they are traverneri ssp. I have also recorded the really small ones, minima ssp, but uncommonly. Sibley has some good notes on these guys here. www.sibleyguides.com/canada_cackling.htm
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