Picture of the day - November 10, 2005

Canada Geese Flying South For The Winter

Here in southwestern Virginia, one of the surest signs of fall is the sight of Canada Geese flying in formation on their way to their winter home in the southern United States and Mexico. Interestingly, each skein (flying group) of geese migrate along the same flight path and winter in the same location each and every year. The details of the flight pattern are passed on from one generation of geese to the next! In recent years, warmer than normal winters in the northern hemisphere have resulted in Canada geese migrating later in the fall - and some are now choosing not to migrate at all. They simply stay behind in Canada in the cities while their counterparts fly south. These "lazy" geese might have a rough time of it the next time they're faced with a normal winter. Many localities where Canada geese winter view them as pests and they sometimes take drastic measures to eliminate them. There are humane methods of dealing with Canadian geese however, such as goose repellant. It is my hope that those who have a "goose problem" will choose to deal with it in the most "goose friendly" manner possible. Here we are 10 days into November, and virtually every day we see at least one or two skeins of Canada geese flying over our house. Actually, we usually hear their tell-tale honking before we see them. Watching Canadian geese in flight is one of life's true pleasures, and I hope they never stop flying over my neck of the woods.   Picture Of The Day Homepage | Submit a photo Interesting Articles