Here on the Mendocino Coast, we live along an active segment of the "Great Pacific Flyway" (a major migration route for over 350 different bird species that stretches over 4,000 miles from Alaska to Patagonia) and, thanks to social media, we've noted that quite a few local residents--including ourselves--have been witnessing an impressive number of Cackling Geese "flyovers" over this past week!
Cackling Geese (Branta hutchinsii) are migratory birds related to Canadian Geese (Branta canadensis). In September and October, they leave their Alaskan/Canadian breeding grounds and head south to areas in California's Central Valley (particularly the San Joaquin Valleys and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta) where they will spend the winter.
Here's what we were able to capture on camera from our balcony:
Thursday, September 26, 2024 - 7:55 AM
Thursday, September 26, 2024 - 4:18 PM
Sunday, September 29, 2024 - 12:40 PM
(Excuse the sound of me standing up, dropping something, and being scolded by a hummingbird and a scrub jay!)
Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024 - 12:38 PM
Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024 - 1:27 PM
(Excuse the noise pollution--unfortunately, there was some construction occurring next door.)
Thursday, October 3rd, 2024 - 12:39 PM
We also overheard and/or spotted separate flocks fly over on the following days/times (but didn't get videos for varying reasons):
Thursday, September 26th: Â 8:15 AM
Tuesday, October 1st: 12:35 PM
Wednesday, October 2nd: 12:54 PM
Thursday, October 3rd: 11:10 AM, 11:21 AM, 11:26 AM, 12:52 PM
(This list is an active list.)
Come February and April, these beautiful birds will head back to "the great white north" to breed and start the cycle over again. We can only hope we have the opportunity to witness their northward migration in the springtime!
Have you witnessed a "flyover" recently?
Learn more about Cackling Geese here:
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