{"id":55403,"date":"2018-12-25T06:22:12","date_gmt":"2018-12-25T13:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=55403"},"modified":"2024-02-13T18:11:10","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T01:11:10","slug":"christmas-goose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/12\/25\/christmas-goose\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Goose"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ChristmasChristmas Goose on a pond – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I was able to spend a little time on Christmas Eve at the local pond not long before the sun set and the usual birds were there in nice light. Some Common Goldeneyes, a single Double-crested Cormorant, American Coots, Pied-billed Grebes, lots of wild and domestic mallards, a few Redheads, and geese.<\/p>\n

There were large Canada Geese and small Cackling Geese and geese that were somewhere in between both their sizes. Perhaps the middle sized geese were Lesser Canada Geese, I just know the more I looked at my long distance photos of the geese the more confused I became with those in between sized geese.<\/p>\n

Only one goose came in close enough for me to take a portrait of it and it was one of those in between sized geese. If pushed I would have to say this is a Lesser Canada Goose but who is going to push me for an ID on Christmas Day? \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Even David Sibley has a difficult time positively identifying Lesser Canada Geese: Lesser Canada Goose in the northeastern US<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

I’m happy that I was able to photograph birds on Christmas Eve in decent light and that somehow to me this is more than “just” a goose, it is a Christmas Goose and who am I to look a gift goose in the bill?<\/p>\n

Merry Christmas…<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Canada Geese photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m happy that I was able to photograph birds on Christmas Eve in decent light and that somehow to me this is more than “just” a goose, it is a Christmas Goose and who am I to look a gift goose in the bill?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":121044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,527,28,709,26],"tags":[4004,32,528,4343,6301,6484,713,4775,6913,1984,4046,8018,3996,373],"class_list":["post-55403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-cackling-geese","category-canada-geese","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-branta-canadensis","tag-cackling-goose","tag-canada-goose","tag-christmas","tag-close","tag-geese","tag-goose","tag-lesser-canada-goose","tag-pond","tag-portrait","tag-urban","tag-water","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/goose-christmas-eve-mia-mcpherson-7055.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-epB","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":43384,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/07\/adult-snow-goose-on-willow-pond\/","url_meta":{"origin":55403,"position":0},"title":"Adult Snow Goose on Willow Pond","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"There were several hundred Canada Geese on the pond and because I have seen reports of Cackling and Snow Geese in the area I scanned the pond with my lens and spotted a lone Snow Goose.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lone Snow Goose on Willow Pond, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/snow-goose-willow-pond-mia-mcpherson-8832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/snow-goose-willow-pond-mia-mcpherson-8832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cackling-goose-regular-goose-utah-mia-mcpherson-0367.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cackling-goose-regular-goose-utah-mia-mcpherson-0367.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cackling-goose-regular-goose-utah-mia-mcpherson-0367.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cackling-goose-regular-goose-utah-mia-mcpherson-0367.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43948,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/15\/canada-geese-portraits\/","url_meta":{"origin":55403,"position":2},"title":"Canada Geese Portraits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Three days ago when the sun broke through the clouds in the afternoon I went to the pond and was able to take several Canada Geese portraits with the blue water of the pond in the background.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Canada Goose close up, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-portrait-mia-mcpherson-2588.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-portrait-mia-mcpherson-2588.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-portrait-mia-mcpherson-2588.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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I really shouldn't though because they are beautiful birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Canada Goose paddling by, Farmington Bay WMA, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-mia-mcpherson-0094.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-mia-mcpherson-0094.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-mia-mcpherson-0094.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-mia-mcpherson-0094.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14474,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/02\/28\/taking-a-gander-at-mating-canada-geese\/","url_meta":{"origin":55403,"position":4},"title":"Taking a Gander at mating Canada Geese","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Officially it isn't spring yet but the Canada Geese here in the Salt Lake Valley don't seem to be paying much attention to our human calendars at all and have begun their mating season.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of Canada Geese after mating in a pond in northern 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2018","format":false,"excerpt":"One photo that made me laugh as soon as I saw it on my camera's LCD screen, a peek-a-boo Canada Goose peering at me through its wing tips as it came in to land on the pond.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Canada Goose peeking through its wings, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-peek-a-boo-mia-mcpherson-2786.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-peek-a-boo-mia-mcpherson-2786.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-peek-a-boo-mia-mcpherson-2786.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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