GEESE PHOTOS

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer;
it sings because it has a song."
~ Lou Holtz

I love birds, even the very unpopular goose.

"Come give Aunt Rita a big hug!"

I think birds are born happy and I like being around their positive energy. I've wondered if they're happy because they can fly. But it doesn't matter why, it's enough that they simply are.

I love watching the birds who fly just to fly. Eagles and hawks are especially amazing to watch in flight. They're such skilled pilots and I know they love flying. They ride the air currents with the same delight as a surfer rides the ocean waves.

MARCH 10, 2013 -- The other day, I made some geese friends. They let me sit up close and personal with them. (See pic above.) I love when that happens. An integral part of my photography is the connection I make with whatever life form has my attention. Being right there next to them beats shooting at long distances any day. With geese, the challenge is finding new ways to present them.

Whether you're a fan of geese or not, I hope you find some enjoyment in my photo journal below.
It's a work in progress. I'll add more photos, and if I have something more to say, I'll add that too.

Taken May 21, 2011

Taken May 25, 2011 - This mom or dad is tending to her goslings

Baby goose May 25, 2011

My Brown Goose

GOOSE YOGA

"FIND YOUR BALANCE"

THE WING STRETCH

HOLD 1, 2, 3 .....

INTERMEDIATE CLASS

DENIAL

CELEBRATION

"X" marks the spot

IN MY OPINION

"TELL IT LIKE IT IS"

A WARNING

The soft spoken one ....

WATER AEROBICS

HAVING A ROUGH TIME

MY BROWN GOOSE STORY
by Betsy Seeton

My brown goose

April 14, 2011
I had the most amazing thing happen today. First of all, I was having a good time photographing egrets and a coyote. I didn't even know egrets were in Colorado, so this was a special treat. The last time I photographed onewas in California over a year ago when I was cat sitting in San Diego. Just as the egrets took flight, I saw a brown bird way off in the distance in the middle of the lake. It was too far away to see what kind of bird it was so I snapped a few pictures figuring I would examine the photo when I got home. Just at that moment a Canada goose waddled onto the shore and came right up to me. And I mean inches from me. I started talking to her like I always do when I meet wildlife. I wondered if she knew me from last winter when I spent part of each day walking and photographing geese in the area. I made regular friends with some of the geese last winter without feeding them. (I fed a couple of very injured geese two or three times, but that was all.)

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My brown goose ....

After talking to the goose, who stayed close by me, I turned to examine the brown bird in the distance and then something startling happened. It looked right at me and started swimming toward me. I snapped a series of pictures as it made a bee line for me and soon realized it looked like my favorite brown goose from last winter. I've seen her once this year and when I did she immediately got out of the water and came to me. It’s hard to believe she remembered me, but it was amazing to see her come to me when I talked to her. I was with a photographer friend when that happened and he witnessed it. I was as surprised as he was. Maybe she knew my voice. Or maybe it was just coincidental. I still really don't know. Today, she swam half way across the lake and came right to me -- again. It was surreal!

I wonder if she heard the camera clicking (I clicked a lot of pictures last year) and perhaps heard my voice when I spoke to the other goose? Could it be possible that she recognized these sounds and remembered the many times I sat with her and took her picture? Birds are remarkable in many ways and certainly being able to remember how to fly thousands of miles back to the same nesting area is at the top of the marveling I do about them.

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Anyway, my brown goose came to shore a few feet from me and just started grooming her feathers and feet and then curled up for some shut eye. She never moved away from me. I sat with her for half an hour. Maybe it's all a coincidence ... I don't know. But it was amazing nonetheless. It was definitely a wow moment and made my day.