Christmas this year was absolutely unfulfilling in terms of weather. It’s been so nice and wintry, up until the day prior to Christmas Eve when everything became unseasonably warm and snow was leached back into the earth. Of course, many people didn’t mind – especially those not fond of cold – but I absolutely wished for a white Christmas and was let down — for the most part.
The holiday itself went well, Tim and I were able to host a Christmas Eve celebration at our house and we had a good mix of family, friends, and food. Of course, staring out at the drag landscape would’ve seemed so much better had there been snow. Christmas morning brought much of the same – festivities with family, yet not a flake in sight. However, a birding friend of mine reached out that two Snow Geese had appeared with a massive flock of Canada Geese here in Blair County.
With gifts unwrapped, food eaten, and everyone brought to exhaustion by afternoon my husband Tim and I headed off to the location in hopes that the Snow Geese would remain as a Christmas blessing and that I would finally snag some good photos of these elegant birds. And so, we headed off to the location with a few shreds of holiday spirit still intact – hoping for a Christmas miracle.
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| My first experience with Snow Geese a couple weeks ago. Blair County, PA. |
Sure enough, upon arrival at the location – the snow geese were there, along with around 300 Canada Geese, dozens of Mallards, and some domestic waterfowl that stay on the pond year-round. The Snows and some of the Canada Geese had left the pond for a grassy stretch of property where they grazed lazily and rested.
We drove our Bronco around the location briefly to find the correct lighting. For the first time that day, I was grateful for the sunshine and warmer temperatures. With my Canon 7D, I took photos right out my window. I’ve learned recently that it is key that the vehicle is NOT running while doing so. A running engine merely stifles clarity in your images and we don’t want that now do we?
We probably spent around 20 minutes with the geese, watching them graze, then preen, then rest —heads tucked into their shoulders and one leg lifted.
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| Snow Goose – Blair County, PA 12/25/25 – Immature Plumage |
This is my first intimate encounter with Snow Geese, having only observed them at a distance twice before (and in the last two weeks). It was quite memorable.
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| Snow Goose – Blair County, PA 12/25/25 – Immature Plumage |
It was nice getting to know them up close. The soft murmuring of the flock of Canada Geese was a backdrop, the constant motion as they fed and preened, the way they seemed to glow against the winter landscape. Moments like this slow you down and remind you why you go looking in the first place—not to collect sightings, but to share space, even briefly, with something wild. This was my white Christmas.
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| Both individuals bore Immature Plumage, but were beginning to lean into the cleaner plumage of adults. |
#birding #snowgoose #wildlife #outdoors #geese #waterfowl #christmas #holiday