Photos by Donna

I recently got the opportunity to visit Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware and was delighted to see and photograph many different types of birds & waterfowl, including the beautiful Snow Geese.

Off in the far distance from the wildlife drive, several thousand Snow Geese had arrived, migrating here from the high arctic to the subarctic coastal areas in the Canadian and Northern Alaskan tundra.

The delight became a thrill when I was lucky to watch two “lift-offs”, where the flock takes flight and then resettles in a whirlwind of white.

And, boy oh boy, the noise is crazy loud and lovely, all at the same time.

Watching a huge flock of Snow Geese swirl down from the sky is a little like the feeling of standing inside a snow globe!

Snow Geese do not like to travel without the company of another couple dozen geese and can form flocks as large as several hundred thousand.

Eventually, every last Snow Goose resettled to continue their foraging, preening, and rest.

As I was leaving Bombay late afternoon, a third “lift-off” occurred where a large number decided to not resettle but instead took a direction away and flew right past me.

They continued to climb high up in the sky and flew off into the horizon, headed to their evening’s place of rest.

If you have never seen or heard the Snow Geese in their loud glory, my hope is one day you do.  It’s a sight and sound you will not likely ever forget!