For decades I’ve scoured the trees each spring looking for interesting songbirds that might be passing through during migration season.
It wasn’t until about 5 years ago that I learned that there are dozens of duck, goose, swan and shorebird species that also come through and are pretty easy to find. Most of them arrive about a month or two before the migrating songbirds show up.
I want to slap my forehead when I think about how many times I have passed a pond or lake or flooded agricultural field in the spring and just assumed the brown (and sometimes white) blobs I was seeing were just the ubiquitous Canada Geese.
Jill and I found this mass of birds in an agricultural field just north of our city two weeks ago. There are indeed a few Canada Geese in the photo (in the back), but most of these birds are Greater White-fronted Geese. A species I only learned about two years ago.
Greater White-fronted Geese breed in the arctic tundra and spend their winters in Texas, Louisiana, California, Washington, Oregon and Mexico.
During migration season they can be found congregating with Canada Geese and Snow Geese.
Last spring Jill and I were visiting a little marsh for the first time when thousands of Greater White-fronted Geese took off at the same time and flew over our heads. It was one of the most amazing bird experiences I’ve ever had.
When you’re driving or walking by ponds or agricultural fields this time of year, it’s worth it to take a closer look with binoculars. You may just spot a bird you’ve never seen before!