Skagit Delta Snow Goose Bonanza

[FlyingSquirrel]

One of the challenges in my wildlife photography journey, of late, has been a difficulty in actually finding wildlife to photograph. For those of you who are not familiar or experienced in wildlife photography, a key factor is locating subjects, getting close to them, and, if you are serious about creating high quality and excellent images, finding the previously mentioned things also with a good background, proper light, and a good angle to the subject. In my opinion, wildlife photography is one of the most difficult branches of the field.

The biggest, and most effective, step that I've taken in an effort to achieve my goals, has been joining a nature photography meetup group, that was organized by a professional nature photographer.

The second outing, that our meetup group has done, was that of the Skagit Delta / Skagit Wildlife Area, in Washington state. This area is comprised of many separate units, spread throughout various counties, and totals about 16,700 acres. The second largest river in the state, the glacier-fed Skagit River, has several forks and numerous tributaries, all of which surround and feed into the wildlife areas and units. There are numerous habitats throughout the area, including tidal mudflats, marshes, open water, island shorelines, forested areas, and agricultural units which are planted with grains to provide sustenance for waterfowl. A vast variety of wildlife are dependent upon these habitats and protected areas, including an array of avian species and fish.

Of particular interest to wildlife photographers is the spectacular population of Snow Geese in the Winter months. Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens), are so named because of their primarily white plumage, although several color morphs exist, including a gray/blue variety. In Winter, these geese migrate more than 3000 miles, from their breeding areas in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and Sibera, to their overwintering areas of British Columbia, United States, and Mexico.

Shortly after our group’s arrival, we discovered a very large population of Snow Geese. Over a period of an hour, numerous flocks of geese arrived, growing the population to a staggering number. A sea of white birds filled the muddy pasture before us, moving steadily closer, until the closest individuals would not fit in the frame of my camera (using a 500mm f4 IS II with 1.4x extender on a 7D 1.6 crop sensor camera). The number of photographers and birders along the road increased as well, as people pulled over to see what we were seeing.

Without warning, a huge section of the flock suddenly started making their honking call, and in an instant, a disorienting, churning tornado of 20,000 birds was filling the air. A massive wall of white peeled away from the Earth, creating a fluttering sound and vibrating sensation throughout the area. The entire flock raced away, moving, perhaps ¼ mile, before settling down in another field. It was an exciting experience that I will not soon forget.

After the geese, we made a short side-trip to an area where Short-Eared Owls are know to frequent. While we did see owls, they were too far away for excellent shots. However, I will share with you a heavily cropped, environmental owl photo. I very much like the composition and features of the photo, excluding the low quality due to the lack of resolution. As an image overall, I am extremely fond of it, however it is acceptable only as a personal favorite, web image, and is of no use professionally.

Unfortunately, we were slightly above the flock, so were forced to shoot at a downward angle. For distant groups of the birds, on the ground, and in the air, this was not an issue; for closer individuals and portrait opportunities, the downward shooting angle yield undesirable photos, compared to the type of shots I prefer. Regardless, I will share the portrait shots as part of the story, and for you to see what a Snow Goose looks like up close.

Please open image in lightbox, then hit "f" on each photo to view at full size for proper detail and sharpness.

Snow Goose


Closer crop


A pair, coming in to join the group


The tornado begins


A section of the flock


The pinnacle of the event


Short-Eared Owl, environmental portrait (heavy crop). Perhaps one of my favorite photos that I've ever taken.

[NorthernFocus]

Good stuff, Matt. The monochrome works well on the snows. Snow geese on the Skagit River delta were my first ever bird photos and BIFs. We went down in 2008 for the tulip festival and they weren't blooming yet. There were some geese around so I shot them instead of the flowers. Been hooked ever since

[IzzieK]

I echo that Dan...good stuff! I have never seen as much birds in one place at one time. 'Beats the sparrows I see in the fields every now and then at our airport...

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[Downrigger]

Thank you for sharing all that - it is a very nice series and I appreciate your thoughts on wildlife shooting - to which I aspire. A benefit i have noticed is that once you are afield with an intent to find/capture wildlife, you go more slowly and pay more attention to where you are and what is around you than were you just out for a jaunt. I agree about challenge, too. No matter how good a capture, you can always imagine a better one, "next time".

[Nancy Moran G]

I can see why that Owl is a favorite of yours, it's excellent!
Loved the story, I felt like skipping right to the picture to see the scene you were 'painting ' for me!
Great outing.
Nancy

[Brownbear]

Hi Matt,

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing. I'm in love with all of your flying geese shots, amazingly beautiful captures. I too, have yet to see so many birds in one place. I also adore the owl image... (gorgeous overall scene)

PS I finally managed to clean my runners that were soaked in mud as a result of following your advice to head straight out into the swamp.... Alas no owl shots. (:

[John 2]

Some excellent shots there. Nice series.

[jamn4ex]

great series.

[rtbaum]

exceptional shots

[Donald]

High quality stiff, Matt. My compliments.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Thanks a lot everyone. I appreciate the comments and feedback.