Can you count?

After attending the farewell luncheon for fellow volunteers Fonda and Denny, I decided to take a drive around the refuge to see if I could get one of the pictures needed for my photography assignment.  It’s mostly a matter of luck and being in the right place at the right time.  As it turned out, I was able to find one of the many huge flocks of snow geese that are presently on the refuge.  So, here’s the challenge for today: How many snow geese do you estimate are in this flock?  (I hope if you click on the picture, you’ll get a larger version) 

Some commenters have asked how I count the birds when I do the bird surveys.  Well, here’s a good example.  As I approached this area, many geese took flight.  I have a very small window of time to estimate their numbers, hence the challenge to you.  Assuming the picture enlarges for you, think of it as an instant view through a pair of binoculars.  I certainly don’t count each and every individual bird.  I estimate in bunches through my binoculars as I scan from left to right.  I’ll reveal my estimate at the end of this post.
Don’t forget that there are also plenty of birds left on the ground in the marsh that haven’t taken flight yet.  :)
The first picture at the top is probably only about 1/5 of the numbers of the birds that were in this area of the marsh.  Their numbers are truly astounding, and they’re constantly moving around.  You just never know where they’re going to decide to congregate, but you can sure hear them from miles away!  Snow geese are certainly not a quiet bunch.  :)  Their almost constant calls are not as haunting to me as those of Canada geese or sandhill cranes, but they certainly attract my attention.
I’ve chosen this picture (which is also my new header) to best depict the magnitude of the snow geese taking flight on the refuge.  Since that was one of the photographs on my ‘to do’ list for Stephanie, I hope she agrees.  (There are also about 75 white-faced ibis in this picture.)

For those of you that took the challenge, my estimate of birds in the first picture is: 1300 snow geese in the air, an additional 600 on the ground, and 1 great egret in the foreground!  There were probably over 10,000 snow geese in this small area of the marsh.  Talk about snow birds in Texas!!  :)  If you’re in the area, come on down and help me count!

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy