This is the strangest thing! I still can't believe I saw what I saw. Last night at a favored ranch out of town, about time to enjoy a lovely dessert, we heard geese honking. In the high mountain desert! I didn't have my camera, darn it. BUT it was such a rare and wild situation, I posted the scene in a collage showing desert geese and more detailed story. Thanks for taking a look. I know, the collage is goofy. But it shows you what happened.
(See UPDATE June 2, 2008 Canada geese gosling story (for bird lovers))
Story goes like this:
In the high mountain desert about 3 miles from the interstate highway and the city, a few homes dot the rolling hills. Fences secure chickens, horses, dogs, while cats take their chances hunting voles. Bird feeders and fountains attract all sorts of migrating birds in summer. But Canadian Geese? In the desert? There is no creek. No lake. No ditch. No water. Period. It's sage, wild grasses and juniper here. Coyote and rabbit. Fox and magpie. Pinion jay, hawk. Sort of like southern Utah only greener.
More at Desert Geese post
The geese have been hanging around the cliffs off and on in the last month. But we had no idea they would choose to hatch their goslings in the middle of the desert! Geese fly over this area, but they have never landed and hung around, given the lack of water.
Last night we saw 5 little fluffy baby birds waddling in between their doting parents through the SAGE BRUSH! A Saturday distraction for those of us who are trying not to get too wound up about the DNC drama today!