Winnipeg is Full Of...

Canada Geese!  Hundreds of thousands of them! All over the place!  I was unaware of this phenomenon until earlier this week when I witnessed it firsthand

Because it's on three migration paths, Winnipeg has become a staging area for the geese as they prepare for their flight south.  Hundreds of thousands of the beautiful birds congregate in and around Winnipeg in late summer/early fall to fatten up, practice flying, teach the young ones the mysteries of migration and how to fly in formation.  At sunset the sky is full of Canada Geese as they head for the nearby lakes to rest for the night in the relative safety of the water, free from predators.

They land in the lake, gradually filling the surface.  They shared it this evening with a few ducks and a flock of six pelicans.

The beautiful lake at sunset.  There are a few geese at the far end of it

We could see lines of them off in the distance making their way to the lake.

This is just a small flock settling in.  They were joined by many more.

The line of white birds in the middle are the pelicans.

Wendy and I stayed at the lake until it was too dark to see, but we knew the geese were there by their honking calls..  In a month or so they'll all be gone to warmer places where the lakes aren't frozen ice for four or five months.  And then they'll come back and it'll start all over again.

Pat