Driving through Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area with my grandson yesterday, we encountered a flock of small, white geese, lounging on a grass-covered levee. They were Ross's geese, cute-looking cousins of snow geese.
Having wintered in the lower Mississippi Valley or along the western Gulf Coast, they were on their way to the Canadian Arctic, where they will nest and raise their young on the wind-swept tundra. Farther west, Ross's geese winter in the Great Valley of California and on wetlands of the Desert Southwest.
Using our brief visit to introduce my grandson to various waterfowl species, these attractive migrants were a special treat for both of us. Often missed when they mingle with massive flocks of snow geese, these travelers were kind enough to pose for our inspection.
