Current Nature Attraction: Snow Geese in Malone, NY

It was a couple of hours after dawn. I stood along the shores of the lake at Malone Rec Park, just 5 miles north of the Blue Line. I was there to witness a spectacle that rarely occurs in such magnitude in the Adirondack Park. After a few minutes of waiting, the first line of snow geese appeared overhead. A hundred white bodies marked by black primary wing feathers was a sight to behold! The flock circled twice before descending, wings slightly bent and feet outstretched, they landed on the water among thousands of Canada geese. I waited there for 45 minutes. By the time I left, six more flocks of snow geese had joined the ranks of that initial flock. 

The geese that show up at Malone Rec Park between October and November are enroute to somewhere in the continental US where they'll spend their winter. Many will end up in the Chesapeake Bay. Just think, the snow geese who make a home in the Arctic Tundra in the summer and the Chesapeake in the winter offer visitors to Malone Rec Park like you and me a glimpse into two very different landscapes through our observation of the birds who call these places home. 

This migration stopover goes back generations for the snow geese. It's part of a travel route that young geese have learned from their goose elders. It's an amazing spectacle that you can enjoy too. If you are there in the morning, you'll get to see hundreds of geese descending from the skies as they come in for a landing on the lake. If you're there in the afternoon, you'll get to see the lake covered by thousands of geese. If you're there in the evening, you'll get to watch them take flight in groups to continue their migration southward. 

If you'd like to learn more about the geese and their habits, or even get some help looking for rarities such as Cackling goose and Ross's goose (far from guaranteed!), think about hiring a Birding Guide. Wild Neighbors Nature Connection is an Adirondack Guide service that can help to enrich your Snow Goose experience. For a full look at Wild Neighbors Nature Connection offerings, visit www.wnnc.net, and check out the experiences tab.