Flight Pattern

On Monday I got the chance to take a C.H.A.M.P.S. mentee from Chico High out to Gray Lodge in Gridley to see if we could hunt down a flock of snow geese to photograph. We drove off in the morning about 8:10am and heading south of Chico toward Gridley. While we came closer to the Gray Lodge turn off, we drove past a huge flock of snow geese in a dried rice field.

A flock of snow geese take flight just beyond Gray Lodge Monday, January 19, 2009 in Gridley, CA. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)



The moon is seen as a backdrop for several snow geese that fly just beyond Gray Lodge Monday, January 19, 2009 in Gridley, CA. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

With no real good place to pull off on the side of the road, I decided to continue to Gray Lodge thinking there would be more waterfowl at the reserve. To my disappointment there was little action on the water. Though the drive was nice we decided to head back to the first batch in hope that they were still there. While driving up to the location we didn't notice the group of birds at first. Then we spotted them. They were still there, numbering in the hundreds. I pulled into this driveway and slowly exited the car. We were probably looking at hundreds of snow geese no more than 30 feet away.

Hundreds of snow geese are seen in the air as they take flight just beyond Gray Lodge Monday, January 19, 2009 in Gridley, CA. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

I told my mentee to get ready as I knew we would soon spook the group and they would flutter in a frenzy into the air. About 3 seconds later the birds must have overheard us an leaped up like a tsunami. The noise from the birds and the flutter of their wings created an intensity you could feel just feet away. The birds took to the air as we took to our cameras firing as many images as we could. They circled around us several time not knowing if it was safe to land. It was the closest I have ever been to that many birds at one time.

C.H.A.M.P.S mentee Robyn Kodai photographs a flock of snow geese that take flight just beyond Gray Lodge Monday, January 19, 2009 in Gridley, CA. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

A flock of snow geese can be seen leaving the ground as they take flight just beyond Gray Lodge Monday, January 19, 2009 in Gridley, CA. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

It was truly an inspiring scene. The best part about it was the impact that so many birds created. They made a pattern of white wings with black tips. It was something that was exciting. I was glad to show someone how exciting it can be to see the beauty of this world up close and personal.