Canada Geese

A bird often complained about due to their aggressiveness, nuisance, and land damage is the Canada Goose. I’ve always enjoyed their beauty and noise. At sunrise on the Chesapeake Bay, hearing them ‘honk’ to each other as they awaken was a joy to me.

There is a small community pond near my daughter’s home in Delaware where I can park alongside and photograph them from my car.

Dropping from the sky, Canada Geese silhouettes can look a bit comical, feet dangling for landing and with the appearance of possible air-collisions about to happen.

By evening, the pond would be full of Canada Geese for a night’s rest.

Some close-ups from a brighter day…..

With Spring arriving, it appears these daily visitors have already moved on, perhaps migrating back north to their summer breeding grounds.

Tags: canada geese, Delaware, flight, landing, photo, photographs, photography, photos

37 thoughts on “Canada Geese”

Anonymous on 03/31/2017 at 4:18 PM said:

We always have a few year round, and in fact just yesterday I photographed a pair mating in our cove, so I expect to see goslings sometime in the future! Thanks for sharing these, Donna!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 03/31/2017 at 4:23 PM said:
  
  I’ve seen many birds mate, but haven’t seen geese ‘do it’. 😉 Aren’t those goslings adorable?!!! Enjoy them when they arrive!
  
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Tiny on 03/31/2017 at 5:05 PM said:

Great pictures, Donna! I loved the landing gear captures in particular 😁

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- bayphotosbydonna on 03/31/2017 at 6:45 PM said:
  
  Thanks Helen! Me too! 😁
  
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avian101 on 03/31/2017 at 5:18 PM said:

Great shots Donna! I hear the flocks of geese every morning flying by! 🙂

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- bayphotosbydonna on 03/31/2017 at 6:46 PM said:
  
  Thanks HJ! Pretty cool honking, huh?!! 🙂
  
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Sue on 03/31/2017 at 5:34 PM said:

I’ve seen videos on the internet where these birds chase or attack people, they look quite nasty, even if they are a nice looking bird. And although I’ve never seen one myself, they can be seen at local parks here in Australia on occasion, most likely escaped captive birds or ones that flew in from New Zealand and liked it here so much they decided to stay!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 03/31/2017 at 6:48 PM said:
  
  Yep, they can chase you, trying to ‘goose’ you as they say, lol. And boy, do they leave a lot of ‘goose poop’! Parks get overrun with them and they will eat up the grass. BUT….I’ve never had a bad experience with them….yet! 😉
  
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tootlepedal on 03/31/2017 at 5:38 PM said:

They are noisy but they are elegant birds too. This was a very nice series of pictures that more than did them justice.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 03/31/2017 at 6:50 PM said:
  
  Thanks Tom, that was my intent! 🙂 But I know better than to stand out in the opening with them spiraling above, so I stayed in my car. lol
  
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neihtn2012 on 03/31/2017 at 5:45 PM said:

I thought they stay around all year, forget about the Canada part! Very nice photos of them though.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 03/31/2017 at 6:53 PM said:
  
  Thanks Hien! Over time many have started to become ‘resident’ geese and don’t migrate. Food is quite abundant, so why head back north. Also, if one is injured and cannot fly and still has its mate, the mate will not abandon the other since they are bonded for life. How sweet! 🙂
  
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Rick Bailey on 03/31/2017 at 6:12 PM said:

I like them too, but they do leave a lot of goose poop. . .

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- bayphotosbydonna on 03/31/2017 at 6:55 PM said:
  
  Yes they do. If you’re trying to walk through an area they’ve inhabited, it’s like walking through a chicken coop, except bigger piles, lol.
  
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Gunta on 03/31/2017 at 10:42 PM said:

Super catch of the landing gear deployment! All the images are your usual superb quality, but the imminent landing ones are very comical. Thanks for the chuckle.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 04/02/2017 at 10:38 AM said:
  
  Thanks Gunta, they can be a bit hilarious, glad the landing ones gave you a chuckle! 🙂
  
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kathydoremus on 04/01/2017 at 7:02 AM said:

I am not a goose lover, but your lovely photos make them a tad more appealing!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 04/02/2017 at 10:39 AM said:
  
  Thanks Kathy!
  
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usathroughoureyes on 04/02/2017 at 1:36 AM said:

Beautiful photos Donna. We just so enjoy watching these birds. They are awesome walking, taking off, landing or just plain hanging out.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 04/02/2017 at 10:41 AM said:
  
  Thanks, I’m sure you agree it is really neat also to see thousands high in the air in their v-formations. Amazing how they instinctively fly that way!
  
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  - usathroughoureyes on 04/02/2017 at 10:42 AM said:
    
    We loved the way you captured them.
    
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    - bayphotosbydonna on 04/02/2017 at 10:47 AM said:
      
      I had a few good laughs watching them landing for sure. 🙂
      
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      - usathroughoureyes on 04/02/2017 at 6:29 PM said:
        
        Its amazing how they can take off from the water like they do. Miracles in motion for sure!!!!
aussiebirder on 04/02/2017 at 5:15 AM said:

Beautiful captures of a beautiful bird, especially the flight shot of the single goose. As much as they are a pest they are a beautiful bird. Thanks Donna for a beautiful showcase of this bird.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 04/02/2017 at 10:42 AM said:
  
  Thanks Ashley! I always try to look at the beauty of all of God’s creatures, even if they are a pest or nuisance. 🙂
  
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Ellen Jennings on 04/02/2017 at 6:50 AM said:

A nice collection of photos and description of this majestic goose. I just heard a small honking group fly over which always makes me smile despite their negative side.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 04/02/2017 at 10:44 AM said:
  
  Thanks Ellen! Their honking is even comical at times, lol. 🙂
  
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Lisa Rest on 04/03/2017 at 10:41 AM said:

Thanks for the tribute to Canada Geese. They are beautiful in flight and you have captured them so well. I still appreciate them, or try to. In particular I have a hard time not empathizing with one pair that comes back every year to the Chicago River downtown. They used to nest unsuccessfully in a planter by a building, now I have no idea where they are trying to nest or if they even are, but they are a faithful pair, and I imagine that the gander adores his goose so much that if she insists on coming back to the same location looking for a place to nest, he obliges her. I have heard they mate for life and this pair is a true testimony to fidelity.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 04/06/2017 at 1:34 PM said:
  
  Thanks Lisa for your comments and wonderful story! Canada Geese do mate for life. I’ve seen situations up and down the east coast where one mate has been injured and cannot fly/migrate back north, so the other mate will actually stay with their life partner and they become permanent resident geese. It’s lovely that CG are true testimony to fidelity! 🙂
  
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circadianreflections on 04/04/2017 at 9:47 AM said:

Beautiful in flight images Donna! They are the noisiest birds. I think all geese are. I think they’re the drill sgts, sentries, and mother hens of the bird world.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 04/06/2017 at 1:35 PM said:
  
  Thanks Deborah, I think you are right! 🙂
  
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Zinni on 04/04/2017 at 10:15 AM said:

Amazing!!!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 04/06/2017 at 1:35 PM said:
  
  Thanks, I think they are too!!
  
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anotherday2paradise on 04/04/2017 at 4:00 PM said:

Wonderful shots of those geese, Donna! Their facial expressions look ver unamused. I wonder if they’re stroppy sort of birds. 🙂

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- bayphotosbydonna on 04/06/2017 at 1:37 PM said:
  
  Thanks Sylvia! And yes, they can be stroppy. If you annoy them, they’ll chase you and ‘goose’ you! 😉
  
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tanjabrittonwriter on 04/27/2017 at 8:57 AM said:

I like them, too. They bring a lot of energy to any place they frequent! Nice photos.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 05/05/2017 at 7:13 AM said:
  
  Thanks Tanja, so nice to hear another likes them also. 🙂 When I lived along the Chesapeake Bay, hearing them awaken at sunrise in the cove during the winter was a beautiful sound.
  
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