I know that Canada Geese are looked down upon in many places, considered nothing more than pests and nuisances that foul beaches and mess up playgrounds, parks and fields.

But I had an experience the other day that made these massive birds seem nothing less than magical. I was walking Marlee, our beloved Golden Doodle, at the Potato Research Farm here in Fredericton, enjoying the fading warmth of the fall afternoon and the gentle touch of the slowly setting sun on my face. The wide sky of the St. John River Valley hung almost pure blue above us, with very few clouds within view.

Then, to the west, we heard and then saw a line of Canada Geese approaching, perhaps 30 in all, honking loudly as they pelted across the sky. They came in fast and low, then as a unit swung in a sweeping curve to head northward. As I watched them go past, I saw in the distance to the north a small cluster of geese approaching. This time, just four. An advance party, I guessed, scouting out the sky.

As the four approached the larger flock, I saw an even larger group come into view over the river, following the advance party. I thought the groups would join into one larger cluster but the advance party swung east, ceding way to the 30, and their flock followed them to the east, staying out of the way of the original group.

I watched in awe, only to catch sight of yet another group, maybe 20 or so, coming in from the east, heading directly for the original squadron. The sky was filled with black and white forms, moving in lines, honking and squawking, wings beating a rhythm. I was reminded of descriptions I used to read in history books of the RAF's "big wing" formations of fighters, gathering above Western England from airbases scattered all over the British Isles to form up and attack the Luftwaffe bomber fleets as they approached London.

Except the geese never formed up. In fact, despite the fact that the sky over the potato form was thick with birds, the lines never even inter-mingled with each other, not for a single second. In graceful arcs and choreographed turns, the groups neared each other but managed to stay sorted. And that's the phrase that occurred to me: the geese were staying sorted.

I don't know how they organise themselves. I don't know how they determine their lines, their flocks, their formations. But on this day, I saw the majesty of the Canada Geese as they darkened the sky over Fredericton in an amazingly precise, pristine aerial performance.

Today's Photograph: A flock of Canada Geese arrow across the sky above the Potato Research Farm.

Tags: Canada Geese, Fredericton, potato farm, Birds

A newly arrived transplanted Ontarian came for dinner yesterday and, early in the conversation, expressed an interest in birds. Since I'm something of a birder myself, this immediately started a conversation about what birds we've seen, what birds we hope to see and what birds she can expect to see here in New Brunswick.

I pointed out that we had planted honeysuckle against our side fence in hopes of attracting hummingbirds. As if it had been waiting for the invitation, a beautiful hummer then showed up and posed for us (well, as much as a hummingbird will do with its wings beating so quickly) for several minutes. Fantastic.

I went to get my camera, in case the hummer came back. It didn't, unfortunately, but not long thereafter this purple finch dropped by. Now, this might not seem to be too special to you but it certainly is to me. I've never actually seen a purple finch. At least, never to be able to tell it apart from a house finch. We have several house finches in our cedars out front and I see them quite often. The purple finch is a rare treat in our yard.

A bit later, we decided we had to take the dog for a walk and offered to show our friend, a dog owner herself who is just waiting for her two furry friends and her husband to join her here in New Brunswick, one of Fredericton's fantastic off-leash areas. Along the way, we could give her a glimpse of a bald eagle's nest that weighs down a tree near the St. John River just east of the city.

The nest itself is crazy big and we were delighted when we realised that the dark form perched on a branch nearby was actually one of the eagles. We couldn't get a really good view of it, however, with all the branches in the way.

After walking the dog, we decided to come back along the same route to try to get a better view of the eagle. Wouldn't you know it, with our luck that day, an adult eagle had decided to take up a regal pose on an exposed branch right in the middle of another tree, not far from the nest. What a view! Our friend was appropriately delighted and we spent about 15 minutes passing the binoculars back and forth, enjoying the spectacle.

Not a bad day for birds here in Freddie: a hummer, a purple finch and finally a stately bald eagle posing for us. To add to the joy, as I'm writing this the next day, a gorgeous male cardinal has taken up a perch in the sun, among the branches of a maple tree about 15 feet from my desk. Sometimes life is just too good.

For more photos of birds (and other wildlife) I've encountered in and around Fredericton, check out both the Backyard Birds and Feathers in Fredericton pages of this website.

Tags: Purple Finch, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Bald Eagle, hummingbird