Blizzards of Snow Geese have arrived at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge! I’m so excited about all of the Snow Geese that I can barely contain myself. Wow!

Flock of Snow Geese in a field, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaFlock of Snow Geese in a field

I saw and photographed Snow Geese in Utah, but I never got the flock photos I deeply wanted.

My dear friend April Olson and I had hoped to visit Delta, Utah, in early spring, when huge flocks of Snow Geese fly through the area on their way to their breeding grounds.

Then COVID happened, and we never made it there together before I left Utah.

Snow Goose flock in early morning at Sequoyah NWR, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaSnow Goose flock in early morning at Sequoyah NWR

And now? Seeing the huge flocks of Snow Geese at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge is absolutely awesome. Watching and listening to them take off from the Arkansas River as they head to the fields at the refuge feels almost spiritual.

That also brings back memories of flurries of Snow Geese I used to see during the colder months of the year in Virginia. I was awestruck by the geese then, and I still am.

But I wasn’t a bird photographer when I lived in Virginia—I just didn’t have the gear I needed back then.

Flock of Snow Geese flying over Sequoyah NWR, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaFlock of Snow Geese flying over Sequoyah NWR

Now I do, though. It was so much fun for me to see, listen to, and photograph the geese on November 26th. Watching them fly into the fields, seeing them lift off, and observing them while they foraged was incredible. There were simply so many geese.

Seven Snow Geese in flight over Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaSeven Snow Geese in flight over Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge

There were adult and immature white morph Snow Geese, as well as dark morphs. The dark morphs, often called “Blue Geese,” show varying degrees of darkness.

One dark morph and three white morph Snow Geese in flight, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaOne dark morph and three white morph Snow Geese in flight

The light wasn’t always the best on the 26th, I simply tried to take the best photos I could of the geese given the conditions. Sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn’t.

Eight Snow Geese flying over Sequoyah NWR, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaEight Snow Geese flying over Sequoyah NWR

Given the large numbers of geese, it was challenging to figure out which ones to focus on. I did what I always do:

The best I can.

Immature white morph Snow Geese in the front, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaImmature white morph Snow Geese in the front

I was thrilled to take photos of some geese on the ground in the field. The immature Snow Geese seemed a little less skittish than the adults at times.

Small gaggle of Snow Geese in a field, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaSmall gaggle of Snow Geese in a field

Some of the adults were more interested in chasing each other around or foraging for food which gave me several opportunities to photograph them too.

Blizzard of Snow Geese taking off at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaBlizzard of Snow Geese taking off at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge

Yesterday, Thanksgiving morning, was supposed to have clear skies at 8 a.m. That was not to be.

The gray clouds hung low, looking like snow clouds until at least 10:30 a.m.

That meant I had poor lighting conditions, but I also had some great opportunities with Snow Geese blasting off from the fields.

Flock of Snow Geese blasting off at Sequoyah NWR, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, OklahomaFlock of Snow Geese blasting off at Sequoyah NWR

Overall, despite the awful lighting conditions, I still had a blast photographing the Snow Geese at the refuge. And what’s not to like about that?

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Snow Goose photos plus facts and information about this species.

All photos were taken with Canon R7 with a Canon EF 100-400mm II lens attached. Most, were handheld. On the 26th of November the light was varied, on the 28th of November the light was, well, pretty dreadful!