This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Delta • The great naturalist Aldo Leopold described the beauty of the sounds and sights of nature in his classic book "A Sand County Almanac" as he wrote about the world he would like to leave his children.
"I hope to leave them good health, an education, and possibly even a competence," he wrote. "But what are they going to do with these things if there be no more deer in the hills, and no more quail in the coverts? No more snipe whistling in the meadow, no more piping of widgeons and chattering of teal as darkness covers the marsh; no more whistling of swift wings when the morning star pales in the east? And when the dawn-wind stirs through the ancient cottonwoods, and the gray light steals down from the hills over the old river sliding softly past its wide brown sandbars — what if there be no goose music?"
The goose music the old naturalist wrote about will fill the air surrounding Delta and nearby Gunnison Bend Reservoir for the next few weeks, as up to 20,000 snow and Ross geese fly through Millard County.
The geese are migrating 3,000 miles from their winter homes in southern California and Mexico to Canada's Northwest Territories. The combination of the Clear Lake Waterfowl Management Area, plowed fields with grains and Gunnison Bend Reservoir provide the birds the feed and resting areas they need, making this an annual stopping grounds.
Delta celebrates the natural event each year with its Snow Goose Festival.
The event is scheduled Friday and Saturday this year and will not only include a chance to view the migrating birds but will include a beard festival, 5- and 10-kilometer runs, a quilt show, craft fair and skeet shoot.
"This can only be described as a true wildlife spectacle," said Bob Walters, the watchable wildlife coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "It is spectacular. It should be on everyone's bucket list. … Go out and see something unique, something you have now seen or heard before."
According to festival organizers, no other site in Utah offers the chance to see so many geese in one place.
Organizers say the birds spend much of the morning and evening in the agricultural fields feeding on young shoots of volunteer grain and weeds. During the day, they either head to Gunnison Bend Reservoir or lie low in fields if the weather is bad.
Walters suggests arriving early in the morning to watch the geese feeding in the fields that surround the reservoir. Then, he said that between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., the geese take off and fly back to the reservoir. The birds usually fly back to the fields between 4 and 6 p.m.
"That's an exciting time to see and hear the geese," he said.
DWR biologists will watch to see which fields the geese are visiting. Biologists will direct those who arrive to find the geese have left the reservoir to fields where the geese are feeding.
Walters and other DWR biologists usually set up spotting scopes on the banks of Gunnison Bend Reservoir, where the public can learn about the birds and pick up literature about them.
He suggests bringing binoculars or a spotting scope because if visitors get too close to the birds, they can be spooked away.
The only thing that can hinder the experience a bit is if a storm moves into the area. Visitors should dress for cold weather.
The town of Delta has embraced the event by adding vendors and special events. Information and registration for special events can be found at http://www.deltagoosefestival.com.
Some families make motel reservations and spend the weekend. The town also offers the Great Basin and Topaz museums that are worth experience. Spring birding is also good at the DWR-managed Clear Lake south of town.
Guessing how many of the birds will be in Delta at any given time can be challenging. Walters said about 2,000 were in the area last weekend. He expects at least 9,000-10,000 birds in the area, but numbers could be higher.
"The birds are consistent enough that we usually get a huge number in close to the last weekend of February or the first weekend of March," said Walters.
Admission the event is free.
Twitter: @tribtomwharton —
About snow geese
Weight • 6 pounds male, 5.5 pounds female
Average flying speed • 50 miles per hour
Migration distance • 3,000 miles from southern California and Mexico to Canada's Northwest Territories at an average altitude of 2,952 feet.
Wing span • 35 inches
Noteworthy • Birds reach maturity at two years of age, but most do not breed until their third year.