GEESE ON COMPUTERS

      In winter, when the weather is too cold or snowy for me to want to go outside, I enjoy watching wildlife throughout the United States by live cameras and our home computer screen.  Five kinds of stately wild geese in the Lower 48 States are one of the groups of creatures I regularly see on our computer through live cameras in various locations from the east coast to the west coast.  The five species of geese on our computer, from east to west, are Atlantic brant in salt marshes along the Atlantic Ocean, Canada geese everywhere, snow geese in New Jersey, Maryland, Wisconsin and California, white-fronted geese in California and cackling geese in California.  All these majestic geese are a pleasure to see, and hear in noisy flocks, on water, in the air and on the ground every day from October to March, in the flesh, and on a computer screen when need be. 

     Brant are a small, dark species that nest on the Arctic tundra and winter in small groups in salt marshes, channels and harbors along the Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey to Maryland.  There, in winter, they feed on aquatic plants and grasses in marshes and fields.      

     The familiar and magnificent Canada geese are large, noisy and travel in big, V-shaped flocks.  I see these best-known geese by live camera at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Pennsylvania, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland and the Mississippi River flyway in Wisconsin.

     Some Canadas nest in eastern Canada while other populations raise young in the Lower 48.  But wherever they are, this dignified species consumes aquatic plants, and grasses and grains in agricultural fields throughout North America.  

     Snow geese are famous for their nomadic, thrilling-to-experience hordes wintering on marshes and lakes across much of the Lower 48.  These geese have to feed, rest and fly together in great, noisy flocks through winter.  Their tremendous, exciting gatherings on harvested corn fields to feed on corn kernels look like snow fell on that one field.  And their sheer, forever-noisy numbers dominate the lakes they rest on, driving other kinds of geese, swans and ducks away.  

     The beautiful snow geese fly and descend as if they are a blizzard, many of the birds honking shrilly all the while.  And they resemble a white bedsheet being lifted when they all take off at once, blocking out the background and emitting a deafening roar of honking and wings flapping vigorously.  

     Snow geese rear offspring on the Arctic tundra, but winter across the Lower 48 from October to March.  I see them in huge numbers live, and on our computer from Blackwater Refuge, Middle Creek, the Mississippi Flyway and Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge in California.

     White-fronted geese and cackling geese are two handsome species I also see at the Sacramento Refuge part of each winter.  Both species hatch goslings on the Arctic tundra.  And many birds of both kinds winter in California where they rest on shallow waters and feed on grasses and grains in nearby cropland.  Cackling geese are a cute, little species that resemble Canada geese, to whom they are closely related.         

     Readers can also see geese and other kinds of wildlife on their computer screens by bringing up live cameras throughout the world when weather at home may be inclement.  In some ways, experiencing wildlife on a computer screen is as good as viewing it live, maybe better.    

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SPRING ON THE UPPER CHESAPEAKE

      I visited the Upper Chesapeake Bay at the Community Park of Northeast, Maryland one afternoon about the middle of March a few years ago, as I had several times in different seasons before that day.  This time, I went there to spot migrating water birds of various kinds.        Because of their high numbers, gulls and ducks were the dominant birds on the ice, and strips of open water among the slabs of ice because of the warming weather in March.  Most of the handsome ring-billed, herring and great black-backed gulls stood picturesquely on slabs of ice.        The attractive, adult ring-billed and herring gulls are mostly gray on top, white below, and look much alike, except the herrings are larger and have a red mark on their beaks, whereas each ring-bill has a black "ring" around its bill.  Largest of these gulls, the stately, mature black-backs have black backs and upper wings and are white below, making a striking, attractive plumage pattern.        All three of thos
Read more

DADDY-LONG-LEGS

     During summer, over the years in southeastern Pennsylvania, I've seen many daddy-long-legs on the bark of tree trunks on lawns, and in parks and woods.  They blend into the color of tree bark well and are difficult to see.  Many people never see them at all until those camouflaged little critters are pointed out by people in the know about them.        Daddy-long-legs have eight, really long, thin legs, but they are not spiders.  But they are arachnids, and related to spiders.  These attractive, little creatures, called daddy-long-legs because of their long legs, have quarter-inch, compact bodies raised on stilt-like legs.  They have two dark eyes and feel the vibrations of birds and other predators with their legs.  But these arachnids have no venom, or silk to make webs.        Daddy-long-legs, like all other living beings, are part of several food chains.  They consume tiny invertebrates and decaying plant and animal materials they find on tree bark.  And, in turn, many of
Read more

FATHER FINCHES FEEDING FLEDGINGS

     While sitting on our back deck to enjoy the lovely scenery and weather during the afternoon of July 21, 2023, I noticed a tiny, red speck in our tall Norway spruce tree on our suburban lawn in southeastern Pennsylvania.  Peering at that red spot with 16 power binoculars, I saw it was a beautiful male house finch feeding three fledgling house finches; his offspring.  Those gray and dark-streaked young birds fluttered their wings vigorously while being fed invertebrates and seeds.  And the wild charm of those birds was decidedly enhanced by the deep-green of the needled spruce boughs.        Those four house finches were a lovely, exciting sight to me.  I know that species of small birds raises young in our neighborhood every summer, including a pair of house finches that hatch offspring on a support under an awning over our deck.  But never before had I watched a father house finch feed his young outside their twig and grass cradle.  And when that male finch flew off the spruce lim
Read more