Massive Flocks of Geese Migrating Through Kansas 2010

The grey skies were not dull this morning, as, from East to West, as far as they eye and Zoom camera could see, there were strings and V's and trails of geese, gracefully moving in a massive movement.
 (My very BEST migrating geese video click  HERE)
One noticed the beautiful mass just above, then, more and more and into the east until the horizon came.

Here in my back yard is one stopping point.
I have posted a couple films on youtube (below),
and here are some still shots:
plz click on the pic to enlarge

Here are some hunters about a half mile away..with their very real looking and sounding DECOYS

 Migrating geese in Kansas

 Geese in the evening

 Geese in Flight

 A small flock of geese migrating through Kansas

What geese look like at at
at night...
Here is a film which is far far away;
the second is a closer, clearer view. I have a lot of geese films on youtube...



click on video twice to see larger

Massive Snow Geese and Canadian Flocks Migrating through Kansas Farmland and Lee's Summit

I know i have several posts already of the geese, but this morning i caught a MASSIVE group near the house, and this weekend we laughed as we saw that Canadian Geese had TAKEN OVER one lakeside community in Lee's Summit. The first Video, embedded here, is worth clicking on twice and then watching full screen on youtube. at 2 minutes you can watch them all take off, awesome! and at 3 minutes they form a point shape, cool.
Then, the canadians at lee's summit. when the dogs come out, they just move a little bit -to show they care?
After these embeds, some still shots.

Please click on the pictures to enlarge.

Geese over Kansas Farmlands mtodd

Geese on the Lake

Canadians Take over Lee's Summit

Canadian Close-up

Beauty Geese.

December Skies

The overcast skies of December are almost white
-a touch of steel
 blue
 feather grey;
at first glance, horizon to horizon: clear and cold, rimmed by stark outlines of trees.

Through the window panes these white skies are empty but for a certain light depression.
(this must have powered janis ian, the Cure, Thoreau...

 But
go.
Outside these skies are thick, rich; full of geese, their formations breaking up as they circle down, selecting your fields and the gift
of spilled, uncollected grain.
 Sounds fill these skies; the locals chirping, kawing, calling, excited by the ripple of fresh water --somehow not frozen on this frozen day--miraculous and warm in the perfect circle of dogbowl green.

Outside the skies are deep like the ocean and full of possibilities and change.

Down the road on the eagle tree, a pair of Balds sit and watch ten thousand perfect white geese.

kansas winter skyline mary todd

“Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snows in the fields and woods, if you would keep your spirits up. Deal with brute nature. Be cold and hungry and weary.”

henry david thoreau

The Eagle tree:

Pictures and Perfect Bald Eagle HERE

the eagle tree at sunrise by mary todd

More Thoreau

marysbeagooddogblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/of-thoreau-yogis-and-time-passing.html

marysbeagooddogblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/dharma-by-billy-collins.html

marysbeagooddogblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/good-and-evil.html

click to view large:

gentle bald eagle on the eagle tree mtodd

This blog is Full of Geese!

In The upper left hand corner of this screen,there is a white space for search terms... type in a word like geese

and you will see all the posts involving geese.

marysbeagooddogblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/massive-flocks-of-geese-migrating.html

Janis ian:

In the Winter

 the entire album
 disintegration by the cure

Mouse Haven in Winter Mary Todd

Bluebirds in winter mary todd

Kansas Great for Viewing Migrating Geese

Pics and Videos of various kinds of geese are common in the Flint Hills, probably due to the Blue River and Tuttle Creek Reservoir.


migrating geese in kansas



two kinds of geese together



click on pic to enlarge

click Video twice to view large.

Flying beauty

Migrating Geese in 2012 Over the Flint Hills

Too Beautiful. Early morning; in one video below you can see the ones heading west meeting up with those returning east after encountering hunters.

Many migrating geese videos at my youtube channel, 77katydid. 





More Geese click HERE  http://marysbeagooddogblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/massive-snow-geese-and-canadians.html

the ones heading back east have been shot at. I think they are making a higher pitched honk.

Geese Migration Videos

Sunset: These geese have been coming for several weeks.

 early morning:
 

more videos to come...

more geese HERE

and more HERE

Life and Death in the Yard: Country Living

For exactly three years, a good 10-20% of this blog has shared views and videos of

  Life in the Yard:

from
the most graceful, beautiful mated Deer Pair in soybeans (HERE)

click on pics to view large

who came to check out the apple, peach, and apricot trees in early spring and wandered peacefully around the yard for 15 minutes,
to
Woodchucks, one of whom
 came in late winter and is now a family of four who love cold carrots and my mustard greens-- eating apples
 (HERE), and
playing on the woodpile HERE

from
ethereal butterflies (e.g., HERE and HERE and more HERE)

to
Singing Orioles,
Playful Hummingbirds, 
and  stunning Cardinals.
Rockstar Spiders who spin Perfect webs or who play Wargames.
Very Shy Coyotes,
 Dragonflies that are smiling,
and RABBITS, darling wabbits,  Big eared Rabbits!
Sphinx moths and very strange moths,

and
Bald Eagles in kansas and Stately Raptors, Souring Hawks, a Baby hawk
and the faabulous Vultures!
Vultures in light! more Vultures...The beauty of Vultures!
and

The Beautiful Goose. Migrating Geese. HUGE FLOCKS of Geese!
The wonderful and necessary BEES!
The visiting Dogs.   Hollyhocks in Wind. American Goldfinches in the Kansa Wind.
 Pelicans playing on kansas thermals overhead!
Birds in SNOW.  Black and white Cats in Snow with Pink Noses.
Big beautiful Sunflowers and Enourmous sunflowers with bees and

Plant Life, the amazing Flint hills, the life of rocks, and
 the
sublime and strange sky and the  river noises and turtles

The Horses and  Donkeys and Cows nearby along the morning commute...

and

Life in the Yard like HERE and HERE

is what makes

 all the dirt and dust that constantly blows into the house,

 the

 spiders scaring me into adrenaline overdrive,

 the

 wind that destroys everything i planted last week--

OK. 

Even death.

Last night i killed a big brown recluse spider in the bathroom. I didn't want to, but my fear still exists. Perfect love which drives out fear is an ongoing endeavor.

Last night, up late reading the political blogs, i squeaked as a mouse scampered in from the kitchen--it screeched in its tracks as it saw me sitting up in bed--and made a sharp right turn into a pile of sheets. Later in the deep dark of early morning, my Konza Prairie Dog sounded like she was in playheaven, pouncing and murmering with glee as she moved the mouse along in its journey through The Cycle.

I woke and pondered death.

The death of the poor possum,

dead at my hand.

The death of an owl hit by a passing truck. The death of a rabbit, softer than milkweed under the wheel...

The death of a crow in the yard, a wounded skunk, a passing wildcat wounded by a bullet, an enourmous disemboweled rat given as a gift by a member of the Thunderpaws Tribe of cats...

One writes roadkill love poems to channel the hurt...

Death. It is not the death that hurts, but the moments of violence, confusion, pain and fear that preceed.

Earlier in the day

a hawk had descended in hungry fury on the woodpile, resulting in a scattering of birds but perhaps one less squirrel...

There are cycles in everything.

A woodpecker and a sparrow were pecking and arguing over a seedcake yesterday morning. Back and forth they picked and pecked and peeped-- all while NOT eating. Suddenly, a hummingbird came close and just hovered around both of them. This is three feet from the front porch. Usually the hummers stay 15-25 feet out, near the nectar feeders and the flowers.

The hummingbird came within 3-4 inches of each bird, just humming with interest, for about 20 seconds.

The tiny weightless hummingbird whispered away.

 The sparrow and the woodpecker quietly began to eat.

  

A song to listen to while hiking in the Flint Hills: HERE