Verdal was the north-easternmost point of our chase. From there, we turned back towards Levanger. First stop in Levanger was the shopping center parking lot. We had seen a small group of geese on a field near there on our way to Verdal and had decided to park at the shopping center and walk back to the field. When we got to the field we saw that we'd only seen a small fraction of the flock from the highway. We walked on the pedestrian path around a bend in the highway, then cut across a tilled field. In the next field, mostly hidden by a hedge of trees and by the slope down towards a lake, were about 1500 Pink-footed geese. We were able to get a bit closer to these by sneaking up behind the trees. I should perhaps mention how the number of Pink-footeds has been growing, bringing them back from the brink of local extinction. In large part it's been achieved by making contracts with farmers in the Levanger and Verdal area. They get monetary compensation for leaving their fields untilled until later in the Spring than is optimal for production and also leaving the geese undisturbed if they land there. This gives the geese time to use the fields to feed up on their way north. The farmers are also spared having the geese eat up all their new-sprouted grain, but they may have to use their late-sown grain only for silage if the Summer and Fall are poor so the grain doesn't fully ripen. When the geese are on their way south again, these same farmers also get a somewhat larger quota for the goose hunting season. The field we crossed to see this particular flock had been tilled, so that farmer clearly hadn't opted in on the deal, but his neighbor had. This could have something to do with what they produce. If you only produce grain, you may not be able to afford to sow late. If you also raise a dairy herd, then you can afford to take a chance on your grain being only good for cattle fodder come Fall, especially when the economic difference is at least partly compensated.
p.s. Very sorry I've fallen behind on browsing again. And now I have to get to bed. Have to be up very early tomorrow for a birding trip. I'll catch up on browsing tomorrow evening.
