As the last big flock of Snow Geese was gliding north they left a lasting image that is best illustrated here. As they slipped out of sight, the white and blue Snows left a void in the sky that won’t be replaced until next October. But it’s important to appreciate the excitement that propels them onward for the chance to touch down on the open tundra and begin the coming nesting season. Their chorus of calls will be missed here as other birds follow their migration north to Dakota, with some continuing to the boreal forest and lakes, others pressing on to the Arctic tundra, and some staying to nest in this prairie and marsh complex. Snow Geese were among the first to arrive from the south, and they are among the first to press onward; now we are left awaiting your return.

Ode and photograph by Paul Konrad

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