The coldest temperatures of this season moved into our area on Christmas Eve. The brief bitterness was enough to cause a thin skin of ice on a shallow retention basin in a nearby industrial area and that welcomed a big honking gathering of happy Canada geese!
When we recently drove past the scene, my mother and I both commented on how picturesque the geese looked and so I circled back around and returned to photograph them. We thought how they were, literally, walking on thin ice. Geese are able to walk on frozen water without much risk because if the surface were to crack, these fowl can go from walking to swimming without any effort!
Gathering out on the ice also offers a level of protection from land predators. Birds of a feather flock together!
Don't you love seeing their little reflections? Notice how the second goose from the left (shown above) is standing on one foot. That is common practice since water birds have unique exchange circulatory systems in their legs and feet. Warm blood is transferred into their upper bodies and that which flows through their extremities is just warm enough to prevent frostbite, but cool enough to allow very little heat loss through that part of their bodies.
Geese will take cues from one another. While I was snapping their pictures, several stopped grazing on the hillside to join the others on the ice. I guess it's true; what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Just seeing them out on the ice in the wind gave me goosebumps, but their highly insulated underbellies and more than 15,000 feathers work together to keep them warm. For many years, I wore a long goose down coat when my class and I went out for recess and I must say that I always found it snug and comfy!
Although temperatures quickly rebounded, we are now expecting another blast of cold air (and maybe some precipitation) for New Year's Eve. I think looking for moderate weather from here on out is going to be like going on a wild goose chase!