Shoot Geese With a Camera not a Gun
The Flight of the Geese is an Incredible Feat of Engineering
Nov 6, 2009
Around October and November in the Northern Hemisphere the flight of the geese begins. They will take to the skies in their hundreds and fly to their feeding grounds, leaving as the sun rises, and returning just as dusk falls. Or they may be beginning their long winter migration.
The Familiar Formation of the Geese
Everyone will be familiar with the V shape of their formation. This is all an engineering marvel in the bird world. It is to do with wind resistance, the idea being that each bird flies a little above the bird in front, thus reducing wind resistance and ultimately conserving the bird’s energy.
The birds take turns to lead at the front, falling back as they grow tired. Their place is then taken by another bird, and so on. In this way the geese can fly for long periods of time without having to take a rest.
As the birds fly, they call to one another, reassuring each other and ensuring the flock remain together. In this way they can keep track of every one of the birds in the flock – or gaggle of geese as it is generally known. Sometimes they are known as a skein of geese.
These birds have their movements of flight, their teamwork and their dependency on one another down to a fine art.
Not All is Well in the World of the Goose
Consider this scenario, then. The birds pass overhead and the air is filled with their calls. It is truly a magnificent sight and sound. Then a shot rings out, and one of the birds is critically injured and falls to the ground. Often it is not the gunshot that has killed it, but the fall.
The other birds in the group cry out in alarm. One of them has fallen, and they cry out in alarm and consternation. The V shape becomes disorganised as the birds try to assess what has happened. Then another shot is heard, and another bird falls. The air is filled with the frantic cries of the geese, and they turn in confusion.
Their once perfected flight formation and unity is torn apart. The birds become disorientated and some turn back on their original path, others try to carry on, and the formation is lost.
Instead of Reaching for a Gun Reach for a Camera
Immortalise the incredible ingenuity of the geese as they take their daily journey, their comradeship, their ability to work as a team, their uniqueness, and their gracefulness in the air.
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