Nine Greater White-fronted Geese and a Huge Influx of Snows ~ December 6, 2025

Mike Schall checked out the Trio Farms Boulevard retention ponds and found 9 Greater White-fronted Geese there. I was planning on checking the Nazareth Quarry at the end of the day, so I swung by that way beforehand. I found all nine. Among about 500 Canada Geese, I found two on the larger pond, two on the berm between the two ponds, and five on the north bank by the houses.

Two of the 9 Greater White-fronted Geese in the pond.

Two of the 9 Greater White-fronted Geese on the berm.

Five of the 9 Greater White-fronted Geese on the north bank in the pond.

Also there were 6 Cackling Geese showing their lighter-colored backs, short necks, and stubby bills, plus a Great Blue Heron.

Two of the 6 Cackling Geese bordered by Canada Geese.

I then went to the Nazareth Quarry as planned. A huge number of Snow Geese had apparently moved into the area overnight. After seeing 6000 there two days ago, there were roughly 35,000 Snows there today, filling two-thirds of the quarry and dwarfing the 3000 Canadas. At one point, about a third of them took off.

Roughly 35,000 Snow Geese!

Adam Miller and Guy de Bruyn were there. Adam pointed out a group of about 40 scaup that appeared to be mostly Greater Scaup, but they were too far back in the quarry to be sure.

A group of scaup, appearing to be mostly Greater Scaup.

Several Redheads were also with them. Other birds seen there included about 30 Ruddy Ducks, 20 Ring-necked Ducks, 9 Buffleheads, 3 American Black Ducks, 5 Common Mergansers, 22 American Coots, and a Pied-billed Grebe. After 4:30, a small group of gulls dropped in and briefly landed long enough for me to notice a first-winter Iceland Gull with 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 9 American Herring Gulls before taking off again.

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