I have often wondered why I sometimes miss seeing Snow Geese when I visit
the Skagit/Sammish flats in winter. I mentioned this to someone who lives
there last year, and he told me that it had to do with the phases of the
moon. With a full moon, it is bright enough that the geese come to feed at
night, then spend the day out on the water.

Yesterday out on the dike walk at Rawlins Road on Fir Island, there were
thousands of Snow Geese on the water, further south on Skagit Bay. The moon
is close to full currently, so I wonder if this relation between the
feeding behavior of Snow Geese and the phase of the moon is accurate. Any
thoughts on the matter would be appreciated.

Jack Stephens
Edmonds, Wa