Canada Geese had begun their migration to warmer climates when I visited Yellowstone earlier this year. They were landing in the fields and eating the seed heads off of the grasses in the plains. I photographed this nice Canada Goose while attempting to photograph a Bull Elk in the Madison River area. The birds were very alert and took turns watching out for predators while others ate. I caught it as it raised its head above the grass.
Peak fall migration for Canada Geese occurs in September and October. They relocate to a broad range of habitats from low Arctic tundra to prairies, lakes, meadows, golf courses and city parks. If open water and food are available, many geese will remain over winter on northern territories. Some populations that do migrate are not going as far south in the winter as they used to. This shift has been attributed to changes in farm practices that make waste grain more available in fall and winter, as well as changes in the weather patterns.
This image was taken with my Canon EOS 7D Mark II using my Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 II Lens set on 400mm. The camera was set on Aperture Priority mode with the aperture set at f/5.6, shutter speed at 1/1,250th of a second and the ISO set at 400. I hand-held the camera and I should have used a tripod. This is a single image processed in Lightroom and finalized in Photoshop using Nik Color Efex Pro.
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T. Kahler Photography
© 2016 T. Kahler Photography
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“Play it as it lies” takes on a whole new meaning on a golf course that is inhabited by Canadian geese. Nothing quite like the feeling you get when you spatter yourself in the face with geese poo while hitting a lovely wedge to the green.
Nice shot. Front AND back bokeh!
Not a nice feeling. But, it’s mostly plant matter so it’s not as bad as other animals. :)