The Snow Geese are here!

Dan and I visited the Middle Creek Wildlife Management area near our farm (approximately 5 miles away) this afternoon to see our late winter visitors, the migrating Snow Geese. We were told by the park ranger that there are 180,000 this year, an unusually high number. Apparently they are reproducing and surviving at a fast rate. In fact, hunting them is allowed here to thin out the flock. ( I saw a Snow Goose recipe book for sale for in the Visitors Center). The farmers find them destructive to the land as they devour all they can find during their residency in our area before they continue on their way to the Artic Circle. The weather was warm today and the crowds were out. We couldn't get close to the geese but we did trek down to the lake which is still covered with much ice and snow. We even saw a couple of ice fishermen which seemed incongruous with the 50 degree temperature. We loved the sight and sound of all those birds... and have no intention of eating a single one!

I didn't get close to a bird for a photo but the line of white in the one photo is a very immense congregation of birds on the water with a large group of people beyond them watching them.

You can find more information about Pennsylvania Wildlife Management areas at www.pgc.state.pa.us .