Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road


Tag: snow geese

  • Long Distance Traveler

    I liked the name, snow goose, and I liked the sight of them. ~Mary Burns, In The Private Eye: Observing Snow Geese Here is a brief update on my post about this year’s Christmas Bird Count on the Pungo Unit of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge…as I mentioned yesterday, we spent some time observing a… Read more…

  • Searching for Snows

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    Don’t refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase – that’s what wild geese are for. ~Henry J. Haskins I am lucky in retirement to have more time to seek out places that provide a wildlife spectacle. There is something transformative about witnessing masses of animals in a wild place. This time of year,… Read more…

  • Birds Galore

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    It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility. ~Rachel Carson I had two groups scheduled for trips over the last week, one a group of photographers, and one some friends from my museum world. The… Read more…

  • Until Next Winter

    Bird migration is the one truly unifying phenomenon in the world… ~Scott Weidensaul Having been stuck in the Piedmont the last two weeks with other priorities, I imagine the Snow Geese have left their winter home at Pocosin Lakes NWR and started their long journey north. The Tundra Swans have probably started as well, but… Read more…

  • Pungo Reflections – Sky

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    The sky is that beautiful old parchment in which the sun and moon keep their diary. ~ Alfred Kreymborg One of my favorite things about eastern North Carolina is the big sky (maybe that’s why I like Montana so much as well). And I have seen some wonderful big skies at Pungo this year, especially… Read more…

  • The Show

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    Watching huge flocks of Snow Geese swirl down from the sky, amid a cacophony of honking, is a little like standing inside a snow globe. ~Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/snow_goose/lifehistory When I saw this quote, I said, yup, they nailed it. On almost any day from mid-December through early February, you have a good chance… Read more…

  • Spectacle

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    I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. ~John Burroughs It has been a great winter of experiences in nature. I have had the pleasure of sharing many special sights and sounds with a number of special people, as well as having moments of solitude in… Read more…

  • Sunset Sky

    The sky is the daily bread of the eyes. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson I had a group tour the first few days of 2015, so I went down to Pungo on New Year’s Day to scout things out. It was a cold and beautiful afternoon. The usual groups of Tundra Swans dotted the fields and there… Read more…

  • December Scenes

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    If we can somehow retain places where we can always sense the mystery of the unknown, our lives will be richer. ~Sigurd F. Olson Wildlife refuges, parks, open spaces – these are the special places I love. And we are lucky here in North Carolina to have an incredible variety of public lands to enjoy.… Read more…

  • Refuge Magic

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    I do not understand how anyone can live without some small place of enchantment to turn to. ~Marjorie Kinnan Rawling For me, that place of enchantment in my home state is Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge…more specifically, the Pungo Unit of that refuge. I had a trip this past week with a couple of friends… Read more…