>Sorry I am just now responding to your message about migrating Canada
>geese. This has been a hectic week.
>
>I suspect these flocks would be filghts of non-breeding Canada geese
>engaging in a "molt migration." Canada geese do not breed until their
>second year. One year old geese (at least the flocks of Giant Canada
>geese present as year-round residents throughout the midwest) fly north
>for the summer to molt, generally returning to their natal area in the
>fall or early winter. The next year, they usually attempt to breed in the
>natal area. However, unsucsessful breeders of any age may join the molt
>migrations.
>
>Molt migrations occur as family groups break up after spending the previous
>summer, fall and winter togeather. The breeding adults from the previous
>year return to their nesting place, and finally drive their young from the
>previous year off so they can mate and nest in peace. The last year's
>young then gather in larger flocks, and eventually take off for the north.
>
>Canada geese from the central Missouri area have been recovered often in
>summer and fall to the north, most commonly from Minnesota, but other
>recoveries have included 2 Canadian Providences and I believe 13 northern
>states. (Interestingly, it is very rare to have recoveries south of
>Missouri from the winter. Once returning from the molt migration, they
>generally do not migrate further south.) I presume Canada geese over Lake
>Champlain would be coming from more eastern states, but am unsure of a
>more precise location.
>
>Having said all of this, I have not heard any discussion of flocks this
>large during molt migration. Perhaps the eastern Canada geese do things
>on a bigger scale. Or perhaps, these are regularly migrating geese.
>Spring has been a couple of weeks late this year in our area, and the geese
>may have just waited for better weather before moving north. I will rule
>out post-breeding dispersal. It is too early and flocks would seem too
>large.
>
>Hopefully, you received some other private messages with more suggestions.
>
>Troy Gordon
>Columbia, MO
>tgordon at mail.coin.missouri.edu

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416