Pennsylvania Game News - February 2020 - 35

for more than 100 spectators to thoroughly enjoy the show.
Now, if you're a sunrise photography
specialist, you'd probably want to be
out on the point early, because trees do
obstruct some of the view. Stay right and
against the fence on the point for the best
photos. If you're late, you can still do well
standing at the top on the embarkment,
about 10 yards behind the fence.
Early arrivers will be forced to withstand more of that Willow-Point chill.
When it's accompanied by a breeze, it
can be tough on folks, who don't prepare.
Plenty head back to their vehicles before
the sun rises. So, stay in your car until
about 6:30 to 6:45, then go. It'll be easier
on you and the wait won't be as long.
It's rare when the geese don't have a
major rise within the first hour after sunrise. They are, after all, at Middle Creek to
recharge their batteries for their next push
north. So, you shouldn't expect to spend
the morning waiting for the big show. The
geese are pretty accommodating.
When it all comes together, you're
standing on Willow Point watching tens
of thousands of snow geese and several
thousand tundra swans resting on the
water. As the sun rises, the birds start communicating; some even rise in little bands
causing increased discussion - even agitation - among the congested acres of birds.
Typically, several false starts will
preface the morning's big show. But
when it comes, the birds bellow and
rise, somewhat haphazardly at first, then
assemble into a tight formation that rivals
a ground-scraping cumulonimbus cloud.
Apparently, a goose leads, but it resembles
a jailbreak more than the orderly flying V
of the Canada geese most Pennsylvanians
know. Although Willow Point is worth
visiting at any time, the best times are
dawn and dusk. I prefer dawn because it's
FEBRUARY 2020

so exhilarating and memorable to see and
hear geese rise from the impoundment.
Sunset, however, is a good alternative if
you can't swing getting there earlier.
Tundra swans usually are resting on
the water in the cove north of the point
by the dozens, if not hundreds. Binoculars or a spotting scope will help enhance
your observations, particularly if you're
looking to study swan interactions. Rest
assured, these docile birds will surprise
you if you watch them long enough.
There is a pavilion at Willow Point to
protect you from a downpour. It also has
a portable toilet. But after that, there's
not much. Plan to import your water and
snacks, if you need them, and be sure to
use the receptacles for your trash.
To make the most of your trip to
Middle Creek, remember the Visitors
Center is closed on Mondays during
spring migration. In addition, the interior
portion of the driving tour is closed until
March 1, then open from sunrise to sunset.
The Visitors Center offers restrooms
and vending machines, as well as guidance on where else to go. Access to the
interior portion of the tour route allows
the opportunity to visit the fields behind
the main impoundment and to see tundra
swans flying to farm fields, as well as an
occasional bald eagle or northern harrier,
and if you're lucky, a short-eared owl.
When cornfields are planted in the hilly
fields on the backside of the impoundment, snow geese also flock to them.
While it costs next to nothing, a trip
to Middle Creek can provide a memory
that will make you smile the rest of your
life. Snow geese and tundra swans have
their charms, as does getting out to do
something wild. So, plan a trip to Middle
Creek to catch some of that feathered
commotion that rises off Willow Point
every spring. You won't regret it!
35
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2020

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