Date: 10/10/25 9:10 am From: Diane Hichwa via groups.io <dhichwa...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Aleutian Cacklers
Thanks David. Good info---but maybe Cornell Birds of the World could be a better source than Wikipedia. Who knows??
Diane Hichwa
Email: <dhichwa...>
Telephone: 707-785-1922 (Sea Ranch)
707-483-3130 (cell)
More Tail Wagging!!! Less Barking!!
Millie 2007
From: <Mendobirds...> on behalf of "David Jensen via groups.io" <djensen...>
Reply-To: David Jensen <djensen...>
Date: Friday, October 10, 2025 at 8:57 AM
To: "<fagrhall...>" <fagrhall...>, "<feather...>" <feather...>
Cc: "<gallo.ja...>" <gallo.ja...>, Jeanne & Rick Jackson <jackson2...>, "<tbray...>" <tbray...>, "<Mendobirds...>" <Mendobirds...>
Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Aleutian Cacklers
Resent-From: David Jensen <djensen...>
Resent-Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2025 08:57:27 -0700
Two things can be real:
Aleutian cackling geese typically arrive in California in mid-October each year. The majority of the population goes right to its primary wintering areas in the Central Valley. Since 2002, though, a relatively small (1500-5000) number of geese spend fall and winter on the northern coast. Around late December, the geese wintering in the Central Valley begin moving north, and by mid-February, most of the Aleutian cackling goose population is located in northwestern California until they depart for the Aleutian Islands in mid-April. As of 2004, Humboldt County began receiving the majority of Aleutian cackling geese on the northwestern coast from January through April.[6]
From: <Mendobirds...> <Mendobirds...> on behalf of Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...>
Sent: Friday, October 10, 2025 8:35 AM
To: <fagrhall...> <fagrhall...>
Cc: <gallo.ja...> <gallo.ja...>; <jackson2...> <jackson2...>; <tbray...> <tbray...>; <Mendobirds...> <Mendobirds...>
Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Aleutian Cacklers
On 2025-10-09 8:51 pm, <fagrhall...> wrote:
> Lisa,
>
> Your guess seems sensible, but I can assure you that most Aleutians
> decidedly do not spend the winter in California's Central Valley. A
> few do, especially in the Sacramento - SJ Delta, but many more winter
> on the Del Norte and Humboldt coasts.
Aleutian?
See, the most common answer is that they winter in the western half of
the US in and near brackish water situations. So, Humboldt is one area,
as is the Central Valley. We see them here in winter too (on the coast).
Which other subspecies are seen in Humboldt besides the Aleutian?
Lisa
>
> Best, Frank
>
> On Thursday, October 9, 2025 at 07:07:37 PM PDT, Lisa D. Walker,
> (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...>
> wrote:
>
> I have a guess as to why the geese sometimes head north during the
> fall
> migration:
>
> They nest in the Arctic tundra and in the Aleutians. They head south
> and
> over-shoot their destination and turn around. They have to regain
> their
> bearings and turn inland at a spot where the Jet Stream might carry
> them
> east. Once they see some familiar landmarks, they can drift south into
>
> the Central Valley, where they will spend the winter.
>
> Maybe?
>
> Lisa Walker, Fort Bragg/Cleone
>
> PS. What else did you see at Virgin Creek? I've missed it the last
> couple of days because I've been doing over-due chores at home :)
>
> On 2025-10-09 3:19 pm, John Gallo via groups.io wrote:
>> I saw another one of the northbound flocks at about 9:00 AM at
> Virgin
>> Creek today. Love that sound.
>>
>> Is there any speculation or science about why heading north, not
>> south, and for how far?
>>
>> Maybe doing a second pass along the North Coast to respectfully
> invite
>> locals to join their flock?
>>
>> (Giving them time for last minute packing of course.)
>>
>> ;-) John
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 7:51 AM jackson_us via groups.io [1]
>> <jackson2...> wrote:
>>
>>> Several large flocks were seen and heard off Point Arena heading
>>> south yesterday afternoon.
>>>
>>> Jeanne, Anchor Bay
>>>
>>> From: <Mendobirds...> <Mendobirds...> On Behalf Of Tim
>>> Bray via groups.io [1]
>>> Sent: Wednesday, October 8, 2025 9:39 PM
>>> To: <mendobirds...>
>>> Subject: [Mendobirds] Aleutian Cacklers
>>>
>>> 8 October 2025 - Multiple flocks of 80-200 Cackling Geese flew over
>>> the coast this afternoon. Photos show white neck collars indicating
>>> Aleutians.
>>>
>>> The first ones we saw were flying low over the ocean south of Fort
>>> Bragg heading toward shore; once over land they gained elevation
> and
>>> turned north, surprisingly. They were followed by at least two more
>>> flocks also going north over town. When we got home in Albion
>>> another flock flew over going south.
>>>
>>> Evidently, winter is coming.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Cheers,
>>> Tim
>>> “I now belong to a higher cult of mortals for I have seen the
>>> albatross.” Robert Cushman Murphy, 1912
>>> Mendocino Coast Audubon Society [2]
>>> Ecology Hour [3]
>>> Oak & Thorn [4]
>>> Facebook: Oak and Thorn [5]
>>
>>
>>
>> Links:
>> ------
>> [1] http://groups.io >> [2] http://mendocinocoastaudubon.org/ >> [3] https://ecologyhour.wordpress.com/ >> [4] http://oakandthorn.wordpress.com >> [5] https://www.facebook.com/oakandthorn >> [6] https://groups.io/g/Mendobirds/message/9664 >> [7] https://groups.io/mt/115667065/974701 >> [8] https://groups.io/g/Mendobirds/post >> [9] https://groups.io/g/Mendobirds/editsub/974701 >> [10] https://groups.io/g/Mendobirds/unsub >
>
