
Panics the snow geese (Click/tap to enlarge),

driving them high in the sky,

into protective formation,

over The Salton Sea in Southern California.

When the threat passes,

the geese return,

to feast and float.

Smart Snow Birds,

head south for the winter,

to loaf in the sun,

and play in the sea.

They only fly north when the sun comes out!
Cheers to you from the sun loving snow geese at The Salton Sea~
Note: I am guessing the predating raptor is a Harrier Hawk, but welcome correction if wrong.
Beautiful . Love this post.
So happy you do & thank you! დ
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A lovely set of photos Cindy 😊
Thank you very much! დ
Wow! These snow geese are so amazing. Thanks Anita
So pleased you like them Anita & thanks very much დ
Very beautiful photos, Cindy! ❤️
So appreciated John დ
You are welcome. 😊
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They are pretty.
Happy you like them & cheers დ
Nice!
Grazie დ
Truly amazing! Thanks for sharing.
You are so welcome & cheers! დ
Close call! Whew! Like the shots, Cindy! ❦❦
There is a Canadian Goose flying with this flock. You can see him in one of the photos if you ‘Where’s Waldo Him!’ I have a good photo of him being an oddball out but I posted too much already so I let it go. Cheers to you Resa დ
Hahaha! I spotted him immediately when the pic came up! დდდ
You are perceptive ma’ deah!
Lol! More like Canadian who lives by Lake Ontario and knows those geese!
True! We’re heading to The Laurentides in Quebec in Sept/Oct. Cannot wait….
Beautiful area! Will you be spending any time in Montreal?
Yes. We fly into Montreal and will be there for several nights. I love the city and the food!
It’s an amazing city! You’ll have a great time.
Looking forward to the food! It is soo good.
Without being nosy, what is your favorite lens to shoot with? I am always impressed with your eye for richly defined shots and wondered what you use for distance like these? Gorgeous!
Thank you kindly. Not nosy at all, but inquisitive, like me. For bird photography I use a Sony HX400 which has a 1200mm equivalent adjustable zoom lens. This camera has been discontinued. I just bought one of the last new ones remaining from Japan with all the onboard prompts in Japanese which is fun to us. I use a Sony RX10II for all other photos. I am currently researching to buy a new zoom lens camera დ
Nice shots!
Thanks much Sharon! დ
Beautiful
Merci beaucoup mon Ami Beth დ
Saw a flock coming home the other day along the St. Lawrence, Ontario side.
We will be there in September/October! Can’t wait დ
Just about an hour ago, the Captain and I were talking about how beautiful the snow geese look when they fly over and the sun makes them so luminously white, and their black wingtips accent them. A lovely sight to see. You must have heard us talking and decided to post this.
Synchronicity! How wonderful. Makes the planet feel very small indeed დ
It started with the Cap commenting on how the swans flying by looked so bright with a small beam of sunlight shining on them through the clouds, and then I remembered seeing the snow geese in a similar situation a long time ago. I went to check my blog and there you were with the snow geese and sun on their wings (and a hawk on their tails). Gives me goosebumps when these things happen.
Yes. Your experience gives me goosebumps! The wonder of the world, especially when shared by different viewpoints in different places, is exponentially miraculous. Thank you so sincerely for confirming this.
Your photos are jaw-droppingly gorgeous, Cindy! Looks so lovely with that blue sky and the white geese. 🙂
Awww…Humbled by your kind words Lynette. Thank you & be well my friend დ
Stunning images as always, Cindy such beautiful birds 🙂
Merci beaucoup mon Ami Carol დ
These are beautiful action shots, Cindy.
So appreciated Anne. Thank you very much დ
Fantastic shots. Incredible place.
Thank you very much Michael დ
You’re welcome Cindy.
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Wonderful photos Cindy.
Grazie mille Maria დ
what a beautiful poem, thanks
You are so very welcome. Thank you დ
sorry, didn’t have to be anonymous, I wanted to say, your pics and the text together make a wonderful poem for me, thanks sabine
Your thoughtful words make me happy Sabine. Thank you very much დ
Stunning as always Cindy. ♥
Thank you very much Sally & cheers to you დ
As one they lift, these beautiful snow geese. What beauty.
miriam
Yes. The stunning beauty of nature in all her glory. Thank you Miriam დ
Just beautiful! They have always been one of the most beautiful and awesome reminders of God’s presence and his hope to me! Amazing work!🙌👏👏
Yes! Thank you Sheryl. One experiences The Creator in creation. The beauty is without parallel დ
I do love BIG pictures. That first fully enlarged just put me right into the airborne flock. Up close, the geese almost become like paintings.
Suppose (maybe/wonder) it’s like schools of fish, where their ever interchanging motion makes it hard for a predator to single out just-one to pursue.
Feast and Float, love that phrase.
I also remember a large flight of mountain geese in final approach to the lake – the amazing “silence” of wind on their now unmoving wings.
Of predators a partial recollection from somewhere else, regards what’s the measure of our own hearts – do we root for the prey and let the predator starve? How honest with life are we really?
Thanks for always making this an adventure Cindy.
Yes, the flocking behavior of birds and schooling behavior of fish is being actively studied now. Science doesn’t fully understand how thesse creatures can be so instantly in tune with each and move with such quickly co-ordinated perfection. Love your thoughts on silent soaring, birds do this so beautifully, and the interplay between predator and prey. Fascinating to ponder. Thank you Neil for your thoughtful commentary დ
You have created a marvellous photo story from these excellent shots
Ahhh…. Your thoughtfulness is so appreciated Derrick. Thank you very much დ
Fabulous photos! Birds of prey are beautiful & impressive beings! Those geese are cuutttee…🤐
Yes, I agree with you Dawn raptors are fascinating creatures and geese cooperative defense behavior is fascinating too დ
Wonderful captures of nature at work. Smart birds!
Yes. Bird brained means intelligent! დ
Thank you for your reference. I checked your guess and found that the raptor is actually a Harrier falcon. This is a kind of bird of prey that is characterized by its ability to float in the air and start and land vertically. The raptor is a very faster and agile hunter, which particularly captures small mammals and birds. He has a characteristic white spot on his head and a dark face mask. I hope this information is helpful for you. [🌴….🏃]
White clouds of birds, what a sight!
What a perfect description of the beautiful sight. Thank you Hans დ
Very helpful thank you. I spent lots of time with Harriers in Patagonia. Here are some photos of them if you are interested: https://cindyknoke.com/tag/harrier-hawks/
Fascinating, beautiful and exciting – love this bird story!
Have a fine weekend and stay safe, dear Cindy!
Vielen danke mein lieber Freund Martha დ
You and your camera captured the scenes excellently.
So appreciated. Thank you very much დ
What a fascinating photographic study of bird behavior!!
So happy you enjoyed Liz & cheers my friend დ
These snow geese are beautiful! I’d love to see them in person one day.
If you every come out to the Sea, give me a Holler at The Holler! დ
I will! I still want to make it back to California one day.
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I am fascinated by bird formations, especially in the sky. Your shots are amazing! Linda <3
Yes, I am fascinated by them too. Murmurations. So pleased you enjoyed Linda & cheers to you my friend დ
Love your photography Cindy, have to confess,
I’ve always loved your photography
Aww….That makes me so happy. Thank you very much Eddie დ
You’re very welcome Cindy
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wow, Cindy, awesome images as always!!
Cheers to you from South Carolina
Cheers back to you Sheila & thank you my friend დ
Beautiful geese. And nice to see water in the Salton Sea!
Yes! It is so wonderful to see it full of clean, blue water დ
Great photos, Cindy. I’ve never seen this type of geese before. 🙂
They are such a beautiful snow white. Happy to make the intro & thank you Dale დ
They are!
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That’s a grand gaggle of geese! Thanks for sharing the shenanigans from Salton Sea. 😋
Smiling….There is always shenanigans at The Salton Sea! Thanks for stopping by Brad & take care დ
The circle or spiral of Life. Spring coming back again! Beautiful evidence of that in your pictures, Cindy.
So appreciated. Thank you & take good care დ
I am always surprised by the Word Press tricks. Why do they name me Anonymous. It looks, they do not like me for some reason🙂.
With all my regards to you, Cindy.
Alexander Lautsyus.
Regarding WP, believe me, I know the feeling. Their ‘errors’ always move in a similar direction. Followers and likes continue to be regulartly deleted. People are made anons when they want to comment. Sad. Thank you for commenting anyway.
Beautiful! We have Canada geese here all winter, but I’ve never seen snow geese. Guess I need to visit California!
Smiling….Come and visit! They really seem like Sun Geese to me because they follow the sun, but they are white like snow დ
You captured the drama well of the threatening raptor and the lifting and settling of the geese…beautiful Salton Sea photos, Cindy.
Aww….So appreciated! Thanks much & take good care my friend დ
Oh the drama! LOL! Snow geese are so amazing to watch as flocks. 🤍 We used to go to Bombay Hook NWR on the east coast (when we lived in DE) to see them during migration. It’s fun to relive the memory through your photos! 😍
That sounds amazing! I would love to visit there. There is a lot of drama in nature. It is never boring დ
Love the photos. I don’t know what has changed, but I can’t seem to activate the ‘like’ button
WP gremlins at work. They never sleep. Thank you for taking the time to comment & cheers to you დ
Wonderful, as always. <3
Grazie mille Gigi დ
Your usual selection of fabulous photos. Were these taken on a walk or from a hide?
Thanks so much Sheree. I walk and stop and take my time. I love visiting the Sea დ
The care you take shows in your photos Cindy
I so appreciate your thoughtfulness Sheree.
Thank you for the impressive number of geese photos. Better on line…they chased me when I lived on a Mountain (Hare) as a child in WW2 in Wales and I was always nervous around them.
Oh very scary! Geese can be frightening especially to a child so I well understand your reticence. One went after my son when he was little but I was there and stopped it quickly დ
Wonderful pictures dear Cindy.
Merci beaucoup mon Ami Ute დ
Oh my. Did the raptor get his goose?
Not that I could see, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t. There is alot of predation at the sea, lots of kill sites and predator tracks დ
Wonderful shots of the snow birds, they are amazing Cindy.
Thank you my dear friend and be well დ
That must have been a lot of noise! Beautiful shots, Cindy, such handsome geese.
Thank you Elixa and yes, when they take off frightened they let out a frightful din! დ
Cindy – this is an excellent example of a community that supports and sustains each other. You captured the community in peril and how they, by working together in large flocks, avoided disaster, relying on their strong social bonds and defensive tactics to keep their community safe. Another life lesson here, Cindy!!! Fabulous captures.
Aww….You are such an appreciated and thoughtful friend Rebecca. Thank you! Birds do have so much to teach us if we take the time to watch them. დ
Wow! I love these pictures but second one is my favorite!
So happy you enjoyed & thanks much! დ
Wunderbare Fotos von den Schneegänsen, vielen Dank dafür.
Vielen Dank Marie. Ich freue mich, dass Sie sie genossen haben und Prost auf Sie დ
Beautiful photos and interesting to know snow geese only fly north when the sun comes out.💖
Thank you very much Eugenia. Birds are very smart დ
My pleasure, Cindy!
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Hard to tell the difference of hawks. I thought I saw a falcon the other day and show the image to a ‘Birder’ who told me it was a hawk of some kind. Some of the images in a bird book are so close – the difference of an ‘eyebrow’ or tail feather.
We do the best we can. Lovely birds. I’ve seen smaller birds chase the hawks to distract them from their nesting areas. Nature is wonderful to watch.
Hi Jules! So good to hear from you! You are right, a bird ID book, compared to birds you see flying in the sky, is the “difference between an eyebrow or tail feather.” So aptly put. Falcons are the fastest living creatures on the planet. I see them often at The Holler, but they fly faster than I can think. Take good care dear Jules დ
I have several bird books. I like the one that also shows dark profiles in flight. One good thing about the net is being able to bring up results quickly between two similar birds 🙂
Yes. It is wonderful for bird identification.
Thouogh, sometimes the birdies move too fast!
Very true.
🦅🦢🦜🦚🦉🐦🦢
Happy Easter Jules! 🐇🐰🥚
Such an interesting set of photos. That’s a lot of geese in one spot!
Yes, it is quite a gaggle isn’t it! 😉
Beautiful — and smart! — birds. You’ve got some great shots here, Cindy — thank you for sharing your birdies with us!
Thank you more for appreciating them Debbie & cheers to you დ
The geese photos are beautiful, Cindy. Long live the Salton Sea!
Amen Lavinia. It is so good to see it full of water and clean! დ
Do you see how they made a fish image in #4? It struck me right away. Thank you, Cindy!
Yes! And they are ‘schooling’ like fish in the skies! Good eyes Jennie დ
I’m glad you saw that, too. I immediately thought of the classic children’s book, Swimmy. If I write a post on your birds and relate them to Swimmy, is that okay? May I use the photo? Of course you will be in the post.
It would be an honor Jennie. Thank you very much. I just looked up Swimmy. How wonderful! დ
Thank you so much, Cindy!! This weekend.
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Hi Cindy, my blog post will be up first thing in the morning (6:00). I hope you like it. 😍
Thank you very much Jennie.
You are welcome, Cindy.
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Wow! What a fabulous sequence of photos, Cindy! I love the action, and I love the contrast of the distance versus the close-up images.
So appreciated, especially you noticing the general to specific aspect. Thank you & take good care დ
Very nice. The only places where I have such concentrations of birds (flamingoes) were in Kenya. Lake Hannington and Nakuru…
Amazing to see that in your neck of the woods…
Cheers Cindy
It is wonderful to have this close by. I never tire of the changing scenery. Cheers back to you and thanks much for stopping by დ
🙏🏻
Paul Gallico’s short novel “The Snow Goose” was my favourite book as a kid (and possibly still is!)
I remember this! You have excellant choice in books. Hope floats & flies დ
Great shots!
Grazie mille დ
You captured some exciting landing shots. I can imagine what it sounded like at that moment. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Mary. The sound is rapturous. You feel part of it დ
Loved this!
Very happy you enjoyed June დ
Ahh these pics left me totally flabberGEESEted! Lol! ♥️ (=🝦 ༝ 🝦=) ♥️
Laughing….. You are such a clever cat! (=🝦 ༝ 🝦=)
ᶠᵉᵉᵈ ᵐᵉ /ᐠ-ⱉ-ᐟ\ノ ♥️Lol!
ᶠᵉᵉᵈ ᵐᵉ /ᐠ-ⱉ-ᐟ\ノ♥️Lol
They only fly north when the sun comes out — how relatable. Gorgeous photos as your norm.
Aww…. So appreciated! Thank you very much & cheers to you დ
Super Photos.
Vielen danke Werner დ
Wow, that’s a lot of show geese! I love the great variety of pictures you captured of them.
Merci beaucoup mon Ami Kathy! დ
That top photo – awesome Cindy!
Thanks so much! Most appreciated დ
Cindy – what utterly marvelous images of this amazing experience. I still vividly remember the first (and only) time I was lucky enough to see this sort of goose blizzard while visiting the refuge near Klamath Falls. A never to be forgotten occasion for sure.
Seems we’ve both been blessed! 🙏🥰
Klamath Falls is stunning! I will always remember it as well. Happy you experienced it too. Thank you very much for your very kind comments. დ
Your paintings are a real feast for the eyes – a lively explosion of colors and shapes that transport me to another world. It’s fascinating how you manage to capture the beauty of everyday life so skillfully and bring it to life in your pictures.
What a thoughtful and kind comment. You touched my heart. Thank you very much & cheers to you დ
I’m just telling the truth, your pictures are always very beautiful. Greetings 💖🤗
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Wowww. Great photos Cindy. Love that first one with the hawk. Great capture.
Thanks so much John & hope all is well with you! დ
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Oh Wow!!!! how beautiful is this!!!!
So pleased you enjoyed & thanks much my friend დ
You’re welcome!
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Amazing captures, Cindy! Love these snow geese. 💖
Merci beaucoup mon Ami Amy დ
Beautifully put together, Cindy. Thanks for the extra bit at the end about it being a hawk. It looked so much bigger than the geese, I couldn’t think what it might be. Hugs on the wing.
Thanks much Teagan, and yes, the size still puzzles me დ
As close as we were, we didn’t make it to see the Salton Sea. May be next year.
Give me a holler if you go. I can direct you to the best wildlife viewing locations. დ
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What beautiful colours (the white plummage against the water especially).
Yes they are beautiful birds. They seek the sun, but they look like snow, so they are aptly named დ
There is definitely safety in numbers, Cindy. But what numbers! I don’t know that I’ve ever seen so many in one location. Beautiful sequence of shots.
So sincerely appreciated Bruce. It is an amazing experience to wittness these flocks in flight around you დ
Wow, I did not know about their protective formation. Not only do you take wonderful photos, Cindy, but you educate and make me smile with your poetry.
This most thoughtful comment makes me happy I posted Carla. Thank you sincerely & take good care დ
Happy Easter!
Hope you had a Wonderful Easter my friend დ
Panic certainly did look to be abounding! Hardly surprising as no one wants to become dinner do they! 😄
Right. We enjoy eating dinner, not being dinner! 😉
Me too!😅
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