Recently I looked back through many of the photos I took last winter and came across the photos of the Canada x Snow Goose hybrid that I found last December at a pond near where I live and then I processed these two images to share. I’ve been wondering if my Canada x Snow Goose hybrid will be back this winter, if it will show up at the same pond and if I will be able to photograph it again.
Canada x Snow Goose hybrid on a bright winter morning – Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f9, 1/640, ISO 320, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I only saw it for two days last winter, once on a dreary, cloudy morning and once on a morning with bright skies and plentiful sunlight. My flight photos of the hybrid goose were taken on the first day I saw it when the light wasn’t all that great and I know that I would love to have the opportunity to takes images of it in flight again on a brighter, clearer day. It was such a uniquely beautiful bird and its white head made it really stand out from the other Canada Geese.
Preening Canada x Snow Goose hybrid – Nikon D500, tripod mounted, f8, 1/1000, ISO 320, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I also wonder if you can shorten Canada x Snow Goose hybrid down to just “SnoCan”, I kind of like that name.
I know that some people don’t get excited about geese at all and that for birders who list this hybrid isn’t a countable bird that they can check off but I am neither of those. I am just a bird photographer who is happy to photograph anything with feathers. I got so excited about finding, seeing and photographing this unusual hybrid goose that I was disappointed that I didn’t have more time with it. And I do mean really disappointed.
Maybe the Canada x Snow Goose hybrid will show back up this year and maybe it won’t but I know that I will certainly be keeping an eye out for it from now on.
Life is good.
Mia
P.S., I only used the term “My” because it was my sighting originally. To say “my” in a possessive sense goes against my beliefs because wild birds, wildlife or their homes aren’t pets or possessions. I actually find it disturbing when used in a possessive sense. This will probably be the last and only time I use “my” here on my blog in this manner.
Click here to see more of my Snow Goose photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here to see more of my Canada Goose photos plus facts and information about this species.
Echoing Patty. Again.
You have beautiful photos of a lovely hybrid and I hope you get a chance to document it again. In eastern Missouri, we have Canada geese year round. It may be the tundra geese I listen and watch for but hearing a local flock of Canada geese call out their way home in a fog or the dark never fails to stop me in the moment.
“Your” “SnoCan” Goose is quite striking in its colouring. I hope it does come back. I might not get excited over Canada Geese as they are too plentiful but I do get excited when I see hybrids.
Can’t help but wonder if this unique bird has siblings or offspring….