The Migration

I was out and about today and took note of a dark shadow bouncing along the skyline. It was geese and ducks. Literally hundreds of thousands of them.They got closer and closer until the sky darkened, as if a thunder cloud had swept suddenly in. The sky was peppered and stitched with birds at varying levels of flight. As far as the eye could see. From horizon to horizon this great mass of feathered fowl carried themselves instinctively north. A flock of Snow Geese landed just off the road and I got as close as I could without disturbing them. The noise from their calling was like rush hour traffic in Tokyo. Their honking and squeaking was not unlike a giant elementary school woodwind section warming up before a concert.
The flight above me lasted a full ten minutes before the sky began to clear. Many of the Snow Geese landed in a corn field while others circled in a tornado of alternating white and gray, as their mighty wings pushed them up, up, then in a graceful gliding circle down again. It was a magnificent choreography of wings. A white and brown Snow Goose version of performance art.
We live in a major flyway for migrating waterfowl, so this is not the first time I have witnessed this. Twice a year the winged creatures make their way through, from north to south and then back north again. And twice a year I am in awe of their beauty, determination and elegance. It is truly a gift every time I am allowed the experience... this demonstration of nature doing her perfect work. Feb 2012