Thirsty goose

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Thirsty goose

February 18, 2015 by Mike Powell

Do you ever wake up and feel the need for a drink of water? That was apparently the case for this Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), who was sleeping one-footed on the ice. Fortunately a small amount of water had pooled on the surface of the ice and the goose was able to lean down and get a few sips of water.

A few seconds later, the goose stuck its head back under its wing and drifted off to sleep.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Alexandria VA, Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, Canon 50D, Kingstowne, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto, testing the water | 10 Comments

10 Responses

on February 18, 2015 at 8:01 am | Reply Laura (PA Pict)

Fantastic shot!
on February 18, 2015 at 8:04 am | Reply donna213

It looks chilly too.
on February 18, 2015 at 9:09 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

If I were a goose I think I’d just fly a little further south.
on February 18, 2015 at 7:15 pm | Reply Lyle Krahn

I really like the simplicity and the shapes in the photo combined with the pose. Made me stop!
- on February 19, 2015 at 5:22 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Lyle. You’ve hit upon many of the main reasons why I like this image a lot. It’s pretty simple composition-wise, but there are lots of cool details too, like the small reflection in front of the goose, the shadow to the side, and the ripples in the water from the bill.
on February 18, 2015 at 7:21 pm | Reply Charlie@Seattle Trekker

You captured such special moments.
on February 19, 2015 at 9:28 am | Reply Jet Eliot

This is a stunning capture. Canada Geese are such big birds, for one to do this one-legged yoga position is very unusual. 🙂
- on February 19, 2015 at 7:13 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. The weather is so cold that it seems like a lot of them are doing this pose and warming their other foot under a wing. Keeping balance while leaning over to sip water had to be tough and was pretty amazing to see.
on February 24, 2015 at 4:13 am | Reply Marie Keates

Beautifully captured.
- on February 24, 2015 at 5:59 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Marie.