The 2018 Snow Goose Scoop
Breaking news on the Migration of Snow Geese through Vermont and New York
Summary Report – Tuesday, January 1
The 2018 Snow Goose season is all but over in the Champlain Valley. I’ll update this page if notable sightings emerge before the end of the Christmas Bird Count period, which runs until January 5.
The place to find Snow Geese in the East now is along their wintering grounds in the mid-Atlantic states, with counts in the tens of thousands, for example, at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware and at other sites.
And even if you head out and don’t see geese, the Champlain Valley offers some of the region’s best winter birding. Snowy Owls are probably somewhere to be discovered out there in the valley right now.
Thanks for a great 2018 season. The 2019 Snow Goose Scoop resumes in October. Happy New Year, everyone!
The Map
A real-time map, from eBird, of Snow Goose sightings around the world since December 1, 2018. Click on any map pin for details.
Backgrounder
What happened to all the geese? And why you might visit Vermont and not see the thousands of geese actually 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.
Other 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, 8am to 4pm, from Sep. 1 to Nov. 1.
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.
