The 2020 Snow Goose Scoop
Breaking news on the Migration of Snow Geese through Vermont and New York
Summary Report – January 9, 2021
The Snow Goose migration season here in the Champlain Valley of Vermont and New York has all but ended, with Greater Snow Geese now occupying their wintering habitat along the mid-Atlantic states. The map link below shows sightings since February 1.
Thanks for visiting. We’ll return in October (when, perhaps, the world might be a safer place for people and birds).
The Map
A real-time map, from eBird, of Snow Goose sightings around the world since February 1, 2021. Requires an eBird account.
2020 Backgrounder
What happened to all the geese? And why you might visit Vermont and not see the thousands of geese actually sitting there.
A Blue Ross's Goose
My lesson on the finer points of Snow Goose/Ross' Goose identification — something that should help you become a better birdwatcher.
The Snowy Owl Scoop
A snowstorm of a different kind: tracking the fall movement of Snowy Owls across the continent.
Resources and Readings
Snow Goose – The account from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s All About Birds site.
Identification of White Geese by David Sibley – Help with telling Ross’s Goose from Snow Goose.
Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area – Vermont’s prime goose-viewing opportunity. The visitor center is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9am to 4pm, until November 10.
Geese Setting the Table for Polar Bears – The New York Times reports that a warming planet leaves polar bears with less opportunity to hunt seals. So they’re turning to snow geese chicks and eggs instead.
One Day, Two Ross’s – My account of seeing an exceedingly rare Ross’s Gull and the generally rare Ross’s Goose during a single day in 2013.
