The Geese

One of the great wildlife spectacles in Central Scotland is the geese.  From about now they start tracking across the sky in long spindly skeins as they move to their Winter feeding grounds.  Each skein is usually led by a group of three birds who lead for a time and then drop back as another group take over the lead.  The skeins are arranged so that each goose flies just behind and outboard of the bird in front, to minimise drag, and flaps in synchrony with it.  As the lead changes the change in phase of flapping ripples down the skein like a wave.  Truly a glorious and uplifting sight.
I saw my first flock for the year at Airth near Falkirk yesterday and although they were too far away to visually identify I am pretty sure that from the cacophony of honking that they were making they were Canada Geese Branta canadensis.  The flock was about 100 strong with three separate skeins moving quite quickly.  Where they were heading was unknown.  How they were navigating there a mystery.  How they figure out how to fly in a V astonishing.  Is there a gene for it?  Do parents teach their offspring?
Over the coming months we will see more and more geese.  It will be wonderful to see "the Universe unfolding as it should" without the influence of Man.

 Photo by Chuck Szmurlo

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