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Dusk Flight of the Canada Geese


Dusk Flight of the Canada Geese
Photo Information
Copyright: Jim Pinkham (jpinkham) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 74 W: 4 N: 125] (580)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-10-17
Categories: Birds
Camera: HP Photosmart 945
Exposure: f/4.4, 1/1000 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-10-18 23:25
Viewed: 1458
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Each spring and fall, hundreds of thousands of Canada geese pass through Wisconsin in their famous V-formations, honking up a storm. At the same time, people flock to Wisconsin wetlands, such as this one along the Apple Creek trail in Appleton, Wis. In North America, there are at least 12 different groups of this species, each having a different breeding and wintering area and they travel different migration routes. In Wisconsin, you may see four different sub-species of the Canada goose. The "interior" Canada geese are more commonly seen during peak migration times ‘just passing through.’ The "giants" are commonly seen year-round. The largest of the sub-species, they weigh up to 18 lbs. Giants can be seen in city settings hanging out at park-like ponds and open areas with mown grass. The city goose population is growing fast.

Many of Wisconsin’s Canada geese belong to the "Mississippi Valley Population” —- geese that exclusively fly from Canada through Wisconsin along the "Mississippi River" flyway which includes Horicon Marsh and other south-eastern Wisconsin refuges.

Some families of geese arrive in Wisconsin’s wetlands as early as mid-September and others wait until October or November. Peak migrations happen in our state between October and November. Flocks of geese fly in a v-shaped group and some will travel non-stop for up to 16 hours to cover the 850 miles from Hudson Bay to central Wisconsin. Flocks will also make shorter flights depending on wind patterns and where food is available. During migration, geese can travel as fast as 70 miles per hour with a good tail wind at an altitude of up to 9,000 feet. Geese, like most of our migratory birds, often migrate during the night. Scientists are not positive how geese know their way along the migration route.

Once the flocks arrive at Wisconsin’s wetlands, they quickly get into a routine of feeding mostly in area crop fields in the morning and late afternoon. During the daytime, geese mainly loaf around. Just before sunset -- the time when this picture was taken -- you can see the geese fly back in several groups to rest for the night at nearby wetlands.

-- Excerpted (with local information added) from http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/bird/goose.htm
Hil, Finland_in_Eton, CeltickRanger, Filipe_Caetano has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To HELO: Dusk Flightjpinkham 1 06-11 00:06
To Athila: Dusk Flightjpinkham 1 10-27 14:45
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Critiques [Translate]

not an easy shot, at dusk, as they fly away, and we can regret the 2 (or 3?), forming a blotch in the middle of the frame, but you finely had them all within your frame for this "shadow theater" image of sorts. Dusky, but very lively.

Nice photo Jim. I like the composition and colors. TFS!

Nice picture Jim!

Focus is good and exposure is pleasant. We don't see much details here, but all the visual impact is in the red-orange sky and in the birds silouettes.

That proves that pictures don't always have to be descriptive to be great! They just need to evoke some nice souvenirs!
TFS

  • Great 
  • HELO Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 106 W: 10 N: 58] (352)
  • [2006-06-08 13:08]
  • [+]

bonjour Jim
c'est une très belle photo avec les détails et de belles couleurs des plumes d'oiseau et le coucher de soleil cela fait magnifique
bravo
heloise

  • Great 
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 741 W: 11 N: 1381] (4761)
  • [2006-07-27 14:12]

Hi Jim

I love the POV of this shot, the colours are really nice, and each bird is really sharp, well done.

TFS Hilary

Lovely silhoutte. Beautiful colors. Very evocative, I can almost feel the evening hush the geese are disturbing with their flight.

TFS, Mish

hello Jim

this is a nice silouhettes of this geese's on the sunset

Gorgeous picture. Love the silouhettes against the hot sky. Best regards.

nice one, TFS Ori

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