A Perfect Swarm
Snow Geese at Middle Creek, PA

(modest-size photos)
March 6, 2011
 



The March 4, 2011, count of snow geese at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, Pennsylvania, was 60,000 (down from the 80,000 of a few days ago), fewer than the two previous years, but magnificent all the same. (Tundra swans at 4500 were up, and I have to put up a Middle Creek tundra swan page.)

Click on a photo to see the large-size version (four times the file size).

The following shows how a swarm maintains itself: On the left, rows of snow geese lift off from the lake to join those already flying.
 

Snow goose swarm, beginning
 

The swarm in motion.
 
Snow goose swarm
 

The large versions of the photos are here.

Photo note: I used a Pentax K20D, with the Sigma 150-500mm lens, for these photos, taken on 4 March 2011.

Following is a list of my photos and videos from Middle Creek 2009, 2010, and 2011.




MIDDLE CREEK 2011

Snow geese video: Swarm Motion (3.8 megs)   |   Every Which Way Swarm (5.5 megs)

Snow geese photos: Swarms (larger-size images)   |   Challenged flying

MIDDLE CREEK 2010

Snow geese video: Brief swarm (1.6 megs)   |   Complex swarm (8 megs)

Snow geese photos: Near and far and highlights

MIDDLE CREEK 2009

Snow geese video: Flyby (3.8 megs)   |   Swarm (15 megs)

Snow geese photos: Incoming!   |   Swarm sequence   |   Bands

My Pennsylvania bird list   |   Snow geese and Blue snow geese closeups

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