Subject: [Tweeters] Snow Geese encounter in Stanwood today
Date: Apr 5 21:02:39 2011
From: Christy RJ - christyrj at hotmail.com



Hi Tweets,
I was on my way home at about 3p today from working in Mt. Vernon. I took the road from La Conner into Stanwood, and while heading south after passing the Big Ditch area, a huge flock of rising and circling birds caught my eye. SNOW GEESE! A thrill for me, because my earlier attempts to see them this winter were resoundingly disappointing.
They must have just been spooked, because they were circling and queuing up reminiscent of the Vaux Swifts at sunset. They quickly settled into loose chevrons and began heading south. I gave chase and found myself going west over the Mark Clark bridge onto Camano Island just as a huge flock was passing overhead! I made a u-turn when I could, and followed the birds out via Eide Road where they settled briefly in the distant fields.
Two other cars of spotters and I thrilled to watched another huge flock soon come overhead from the north slough area and settle with the first gathering. Soon enough, the whole mass was spooked by a Bald Eagle and took flight in the hilarious cacophony that is Snow Geese. They all eventually settled further south, out of sight. But a short while later, several more masses of them arrived from the north again. An adult Bald Eagle sat watching from a nearby treetop for a while and I waited as long as I could to see if it would spook the Snow Geese flock again, but alas I eventually had to continue on southward without getting to enjoy that particular spectacle again.
What a spectacular, unexpected, and thrilling half-hour diversion in my day! I couldn't have planned a better way to kill the time I had before my next work assignment later in the day.
Cheers,
Christy JobeKenmorechristyrj at hotmail dot com