Freezeout Lake, Fairfield, Montana.
Seventy-thousand of them, and it looked like we’d get skunked and not see a single one. We’d arrived later than we wanted because of the dense fog that was blanketing central Montana. We parked at a spot on the north end of the lake, and glassed the area: lot of ducks and tundra swans, but no snow geese. We wandered around a bit more, ate our sandwiches, and ended up at a field at the south end of the lake, where we finally saw a few coming in for a landing:
More and more came:
and more….
until the field was covered. Thousands and thousands of them.
Hard to see, I know. But they're there.
We watched for an hour, and then decided to move to a spot on the other side of the flock so that we’d be in a better location when they all decided to take off for the lake. We found a hidden dip in a shelter belt of trees. After another half hour, the geese decided it was time to go.
Wow….
wow…wow…
WOW!
I ended up just putting the camera down and reveling in this incredible moment. I’m not a good enough photographer to do it justice. But it was one of those moments when time stands still…those experiences that remain crystal clear, with or without the photographs.
Off the Beaten Path: Hikes, Backpacks, and Travels 
You did fine Jim, you have captured great moments with your camera and been witness in person!
Funny thing I counted 69,998 geese! 🙂
You must be freezing your butt there!
Thanks…and I knew that count was off! And yes, it is always freezing here in “spring.”
By the way…not exactly sure who Jim is? My name is Cindy, so not even male!
That looks like an amazing sight to see!
It was, indeed. I’m thinking I need a better camera, but maybe some things just don’t need to be captured that way.
Wow! Other than the spectacular geese, I’m amazed to see the snow on the ground on a day when it was in the 80’s down here. I would have enjoyed both geese and snow. What a lovely sight.
Ah…80’s. The snow’s retreating fast, at any rate.
What a fantastic experience! 🙂
I think you said it all… Wow!