Snow Geese

I have lived in Upstate New York for quite a while now and it has not been until the past few years that I have noticed snow geese.  I was passing through Montezuma on my way to work today when I saw a gaggle of geese flying by.  On the lakes they look like a floating iceberg.  Suddenly, that iceberg moves and what a surprise! 

I guess snow geese have become quite abundant over the past decade.  Their numbers have increased from 500,000 in the 1970's to over 1 million now.  They make their way from the arctic to New Jersey and Maryland via the Atlantic flyway - passing through the Finger Lakes region along the way. The reasons given on the New York DEC web page for their increased numbers is better food supplies, restrictions on hunting, and consequently increased reproductive success rates. I think they are beautiful.