Takeoff!

[Mousetoescamper]

Five consecutive shots I took of snow geese and tundra swans taking off en masse during spring migration in March of 2014. The birds leave the lake just after sunrise to forage in nearby fields and return at sundown for the night. Taken at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster County, PA.


*Scroll from bottom-up for the full effect*

[CrispyQ]

1. Oh yes, the reverse scroll is very cool!

[Mousetoescamper]

2. Thanks!

[Probatim]

3. Nicely done - I'm heading there in early March to see the sights.

I did Blackwater NWR two springs ago and they had enormous numbers of waterfowl and large numbers of Bald Eagles.

We started in Maryland to see the Snowy Owl that was hanging around in a neighborhood then spent the rest of the weekend chasing ducks/geese.

[Mousetoescamper]

5. Thanks! Here's the latest update from PA Game Commission:

February 2, 2024

Happy Groundhogs Day! According to Punxsutawney Phil's prediction, Spring is right around the corner!

Numbers at Middle Creek have not changed much since the last update. Less snow geese have been roosting on the lake but we continue to observe smaller flocks (between 2,000 - 3,000 birds) throughout the day coming and going. Usually at this time of year, snow geese numbers start small and climb over time. If you take a look at eBird data on snow geese hereOpens In A New Window, major numbers of snow geese are spread out in the Finger Lakes in New York, the Lehigh Valley area, and National Wildlife Refuges like Bombay Hook and Prime Hook in Delaware, and Cape May and Edwin B Forsythe in New Jersey.

With snow geese spread out far and wide this year, its hard to know if we will experience our peak migration like we have in previous years. Only time will tell, but keep checking our migration updates here for more information as the official Spring draws near.​

Snow Geese: 230 (larger flock​s between 2,000-3,000 birds possible throughout the day).
Tundra Swans: 320
Canada Geese: 1200

[justaprogressive]

4. Great Composition

[Mousetoescamper]

6. Thanks! It's for the birds.

[HAB911]

7. Nice grouping!

[Mousetoescamper]

8. Thanks!