Saturday, August 9, 2008

Snow Geese

.

The Line-Up.
Will the Guilty Goose Step Forward?

Farmer Brown says that eating in the cut grain fields is OK, but stay out of his wife's garden. If the guilt party doesn't step forward, he will start checking footprints and DNA from the feathers left behind at the scene of the crime in the garden.

Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens)
Photographed between Dallas and Marshall, Texas.
It was a cold, foggy February morning.
(Click on the line-up and scroll back and forth to view the guilty)

We watched them for a while, and they always stayed in a long tight line as they grazed along. They were lined up perfectly parallel to the wind direction. You know how a cold, damp East wind in early Spring will cut through you to the bone. Obviously, they put the toughest birds on the end to break the wind.

Notice the dark morphs which were once considered a separate species, the "Blue Goose".

Troy and Martha


Editors note to the Guilty Goose
: "Don't do it, Farmer Brown's wife has something in mind concerning foie gras." Click here to see what it is and read some history of foie gras.


Posted for your viewing enjoyment and
for
those visiting from Camera Critters.

30 comments:

kjpweb said...

Wonderful shot! Enjoyed it!
Cheers, Klaus

Louise said...

The picture is really terrific, and the commentary made me smile.

Louis la Vache said...

"Louis" thanks you for the link to his recipe blog!

Readers - "Louis" apologizes for the appearance of the blog - it is getting a facelift!

ratmammy said...

haha! it looked like they were having a party!

Pat - Arkansas said...

Heheheh! This could be another "Where's Waldo" photo if one of them were wearing red-striped feathers! Good Camera Critters shot.

Anonymous said...

What a great post! Thoroughly enjoyable! I've never seen such a sight.

EG CameraGirl said...

It must be fun to watch them advance i a straight line!

me ann my camera said...

Snow Geese are favourites of mine. I often see them along the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Yours are great pictures, I like how they line up.

bobbie said...

This is a great picture. They are fun to watch.

Busy Mom in Iowa said...

Very neat picture!!

Juliana RW said...

wonderful shot!

Mine in here Thanks

i beati said...

Yipes - picture made me laugh and laugh with your witty commentary sandy

Ramblings of a Villas Girl said...

I think that Farmer Brown and wife have a job ahead of them if they want to know who the guilty party is. I think it is best to let it go.

Daryl said...

I just love that photo ... they remind me of The Magnificent Seven ... when all the gunslingers were lined up ready to shoot it out ...

:-Daryl

Misty DawnS said...

AWESOME! Absolutely awesome photo and you had me cracking up laughing too.

Mom Knows Everything said...

Wow, that is so cool!

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Troy: I was wondering what those dark geese were that mixed in. That is really funny.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Troy: I was wondering what those dark geese were that mixed in. That is really funny.

Michele said...

Yikes, that picture is super awesome... I'd love to have those guys on my side! =D
Mountain Retreat

Unknown said...

LOL Farmer Brown definately has his geese in a row. Great shot :)

Rambling Woods said...

Great photo and story to go with...
Happy Weekend. Michelle-
Rambling Woods

Jane Hards Photography said...

So many! What I like to see a bevy of birds.

b13 said...

One of my border collies was looking over my shoulder and began to drool when she saw these geese :)

Christy said...

Very cool picture. I had hoped to have spotted a snow goose recently but sadly it was a peking duck. Guess I need to hone up on my bird identifications.

Carletta said...

What a fantastic photo!

Loved the comments about the farmer's wife - very clever.

Doug Taron said...

Snow geese are something that's pretty unusual here in Illinois. I remember seeing one once. It really stuck out in the middle of a huge flock of Canada geese. I'd love to see a large flock like the one in the photo.

Pappy said...

Must have come down from the Haggerman wildlife refuge near Sherman. Pappy

Lara said...

wow, lucky photographers, what an image! that's a whole lotta geese :)!

storyteller said...

What a unique photo … and interesting occurrence. Thanks for sharing ;--)
Hugs and blessings,

Anonymous said...

I love those huge flocks of geese. They sure make a commotion when they take off though! Great photos.