Area Birder Counts Same Geese Five Times

Cleveland, OH -- As part of a national Christmas Bird Count effort sponsored by Audubon, birder Jonathan Smith, 25 went to a nearby state park with ponds and trails.

He counted 17 birds at the North end of heron wetlands. They all flew away as he walked the shore counting other birds. Then he counted 17 birds at the South end. They also flew off. 

Jonathan had a bike with him to take him to the other three ponds not shown on the map. There were 17 Canada geese and on one snow goose eating grass near the first of these ponds. They went to the pond for safety. Jonathan covered woodlands for half an hour and returned to the bike, finding all the last geese gone. As he went back to the car by bike, two more ponds with 17 geese were found. One set had the snow goose with them. He did not count that again. Grand total: 85 Canada geese and one snow goose.