It’s Time To Gander At Some Geese

If you have never been to the Delta Snow Goose Festival, you really should think about adding it to you calendar this year. Thousands of snow geese will be landing on and lifting off from the Gunnison Bend Reservoir amid honks and the beating of wings. The festival is set for the weekend of February 24^th and 25^th. The festival is hosted by the Delta Chamber of Commerce. Part of the festival includes a free snow goose viewing event hosted by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

As many as 20,000 geese — mostly snow geese — have been at the reservoir during past festivals. Except for the black tips on their wings, snow geese are completely white. DWR biologists will be available to provide information about the birds and help you find them. The areas where you’ll see the geese vary according to the time of the day. If you arrive in Delta early in the morning, you can watch the geese feeding in fields that surround the reservoir. Then, between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., the geese take off and fly back to the reservoir. After landing on the reservoir, the geese usually spend the next few hours there. Then, sometime between 4-6 p.m., the birds take off again and fly back to the fields. DWR biologists will watch which fields the geese fly to. If you arrive after the geese have left the reservoir, the biologists will direct you to the fields where the geese are feeding.

The stop at the Gunnison Bend Reservoir is one of the staging areas the geese use as part of the annual migration from the southern United States and Mexico all the way to the arctic and sub arctic area of North America. The birds will nest there for the summer months, and the after molting will make the return trip to the southern regions.

Some kips to keep in minds as you prepare to attend the festival include bringing binoculars or a telescope to view the birds up close. Also, remember to respect private property rights, make sure you pull off roadways as far as possible when stopping to view the geese and be sure to dress warmly and in layers – it is still February.

I had to be talked in to going to the festival the first year I went. It ended up being well worth the time. This is a real opportunity to see one of nature's wonders. You can get more information about the 2023 Delta Snow Goose Festival here.