Distant Snow Geese

I've never seen Snow Geese when they accumulate in the many thousands that can be seen during migration, but I was happy to see these few very distant ones flying over Frank Lake on 27 April 2014. I've avoided posting this photo because of the graininess, but decided I would post it after all, so that it can be added to my Birds of Alberta 9 album. Anyone who knows the Frank Lake area and how far away the mountains really are, will know how much zoom I used for this : )

Last year, on 9 November 2013, I went on a birding day trip to Pine Coulee Reservoir and Clear Lake area. There, we did see Snow Geese and Ross's Geese (again, extremely distant). Terry Korolyk's report for that great November day trip included the following (to remind myself):

"There was still much open water off the Campground at Clear Lake with Canada Geese, Cackling Geese, and, Mallard there in large numbers, and, a generous sprinkling of all the other Duck species. On the ice edge north of the Campground, probably 2,000+ SNOW and ROSS'S GEESE rested. One blue SNOW GEESE was there and, there was a very generous assortment of ROSS'S GEESE in these birds; probably 200+ at least."

"The snow goose has two color plumage morphs, white (snow) or gray/blue (blue), thus the common description as "snows" and "blues." White-morph birds are white except for black wing tips, but blue-morph geese have bluish-grey plumage replacing the white except on the head, neck and tail tip. The immature blue phase is drab or slate-gray with little to no white on the head, neck, or belly. Both snow and blue phases have rose-red feet and legs, and pink bills with black tomia ("cutting edges"), giving them a black "grin patch." The colors are not as bright on the feet, legs, and bill of immature birds. The head can be stained rusty-brown from minerals in the soil where they feed. They are very vocal and can often be heard from more than a mile away." From Wikipedia.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/snow_goose/id

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_goose