Monroe Co. Snow Geese - 23 Feb 2026

Snow Geese (Anser caerulescens) were reported this past weekend at the Cabela's in Dundee, MI. Several Greater White-fronted Geese and (possible) Ross' Geese were reported, as well. As late as yesterday the Snow Geese were still present, so this morning I decided to take a drive to look for them. My original plan of biking Point Mouillee SGA was cancelled due to high winds.

At roughly 8:30 am I pulled into the Cabela's parking lot and found the pond frozen and empty. So I continued west toward the back of the store to check out the corn fields. It was empty, as well. I then made a left turn (Cabela's Blvd. E) and slowly drove toward the Eagle Springs Retirement Center. Along the way I spotted a flock of Canada Geese in the field behind the center so I pulled into the parking lot to see if there was a vantage point.

At the end of the parking lot I spotted several Snow Geese roosting in the corn field just 30 yards away. I quickly parked and grabbed the binoculars and camera. Several white-morph and blue-morph Snow Geese were nestled among the corn stalks with several dozen Canada Geese. 

Juvenile white-morph (left) and adult blue-morph Snow Geese. The juvenile shows gray in the head and neck and back, and pinkish bill while the adult white-morphs are clean white overall with orange bills and black grin patch.

Adults are clean white overall with orange bill and black grin patch.

Below is a juvenile showing the gray feathering in head and neck and pinkish bill. 

I managed to move closer onto the grass and photograph the goose flock from behind a pine tree.

Among the adult blue-morph Snow Geese was a single "Intermediate" blue-morph with avwhite belly.

Below are two juvenile white-morph Snow Geese showing gray feathering in back, neck and head.

After several minutes the Snow Geese took flight, with the blue-morph geese taking off in one small flock of four, and the five white-morph geese taking off in another flock. Below are pics of the blue-morph Snow Geese in flight.

Intermediate blue-morph Snow Goose is on the left (below).

Adult white-morph Snow Goose in flight. Note the black primaries and white secondaries.

The juvenile white-morph Snow Geese show black secondaries in flight.

Three juvenile white-morph Snow Geese sandwiched between two adults.

Intermediate blue-morph Snow Goose in flight.

Juvenile white-morph and adult blue-morph.

From the Cornell Birds of the World website the distribution of Snow Goose is shown. Here in the Great Lake region we are lucky to see a few migrants from their wintering grounds as they head back north in late winter / early spring.

130 Cabelas Blvd E, Dundee US-MI 41.96703, -83.68340, Monroe, Michigan, US
Feb 23, 2026 8:55 AM
Protocol: Incidental
Checklist Comments:     Cloudy, breezy, 26F
4 species

Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)  9     4 Blue-phase and 5 white among Canada Geese in field next to Eagle Springs Sr Living Center. Pics. Of the five white-morph three were juveniles showing gray head, neck and pinkish bill while the two adults were all white with orange bills and black grin patch. Of the four blue-phase one (possibly two) were "Intermediate" phase with white bellies.
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  36
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  12
Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S303253536

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)