You never know when an image is going to happen, that’s one of the great things I love about photography, the unexpected. Yesterday morning after dropping my son off at school I spotted some patchy fog nearby and decided to investigate. Turns out some geese were getting ready to head out against some great backlight. I usually try to travel with a body and 100-400mm on my seat, just for these sort of occasions and glad I had it with me this time!
Freezeout Lake 2009
Swans at Freezeout Lake.©Jason Savage
Just got back from a quick trip up to Freezeout Lake yesterday. It’s still a little early in the season, as nearly all the ponds are frozen. There is a little bit of open water, but not much.
For those who aren’t familiar with Freezout Lake, it’s located near Choteau, and is a major stopping point for the Snow Geese and other birds on their way up north. The count on the Snow Geese can get into the hundreds of thousands and it’s one of the most impressive bird displays I have ever encountered.
People travel from all around to witness this amazing event and to see the different birds that are arriving.
As of yesterday, I think the count on the Snow Geese was around thirty-thousand and will continue to grow over the next couple weeks. There were also a fair numbers of Swans and Pintails.
Snow Geese.©Jason Savage
Having limited shooting time lately, it was Murphy’s Law or something like that, that the weather was for the birds (no pun, seriously). But as luck would have it, the weather forecast doesn’t always hold true and I was granted a few breaks in the rain clouds for a little sunlight. Overall it was a beautiful day at Freezeout and I look forward to the upcoming weeks.
Snow Geese.©Jason Savage
With the warm temps, the ice should be gone soon and lots more action to see.
If you haven’t made the trip before, I would highly recommend it.