Snow Geese

Snow Geese on the shore of the Great Salt Lake

By Mia McPherson, on March 4th, 2013%

*Sorry for the double post this morning, I thought the other post on Capitol Reef National Park had already been published a long time ago, but it had been marked “private”. Oh well, it IS a great place.

Adult Snow Goose in the Great Salt Lake

Spring is arriving and there have been reports of Snow Geese in the area. I edited some Snow Geese images I took in November of last year to post today.

I love the way it looks as if this goose is grinning.

Juvenile Snow Goose on the shore of the Great Salt Lake

The immature Snow Goose hung close to the adult. These two geese were seen along the causeway to Antelope Island for a few days last fall.

Adult Snow Goose walking the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake

They walked the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake. The early morning light seemed to make this adult glow.

Young Snow Goose walking the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake

The juvenile Snow Goose was starting to get the pure white feathers of adult plumage on its back. I wonder if by this spring it looks just like the adults.

I’m hoping to go on a “Goose Chase” this morning, the sky is supposed to be clear so there should be good light and I would be delighted to see some snow, Snow Geese that is! I’ve had about enough of the other snow for now.

Mia

Snow Geese

By Mia McPherson, on November 16th, 2012%

Adult and juvenile white morph Snow Geese – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/200, ISO 640, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

While looking for the female Harlequin Duck that has been hanging around the Antelope Island Causeway the days ago I spotted two Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens) near the shoreline but I didn’t see them soon enough to get images of them because they were in flight by the time I noticed them. The good news is that they stayed in the area and I spotted them again yesterday morning just as the sun was rising.

The sun hadn’t lit up the north side of the raised causeway when I took the image above but I loved the pastel blue water of the Great Salt Lake and that the geese were side by side.

Juvenile Snow Goose – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 800, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

It wasn’t long before the sunlight reached the shoreline and the geese, it is amazing to see how much difference the quality of light can make in images. This juvenile white morph Snow Goose stayed close to the adult. It doesn’t look so “snowy” now but it will. I like the pied appearance of the immature birds.

Adult Snow Goose – Nikon D300, f8, 1/800, ISO 800, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light

The adult Snow Goose has beautiful white plumage with black primaries, pink legs and feet with black toenails, black eyes and a pink bill with a black “grin patch”.

Juvenile and adult white morph Snow Geese – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 800, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 242mm, natural light

I was tickled to get these images and the others I created of these two Snow Geese yesterday, especially since they were close. The only other times I have seen them near the causeway they were in flight and too far away to get decent photographs. Maybe they will stick around longer and I’ll be able to take more photos of them!

Mia