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Emperor geese        Images © Mark A. Chappell

Emperor geese are small, neat, high-Arctic species that breed in Alaska and tend to remain there even in winter.   A few make it farther south, occasionally reaching California.   They're generally a good find for Lower-48 birders so I was very pleased to discover a confiding pair of them living at the end of Homer Spit in southern Alaska.   Most of these photos were taken on overcast days with fill-in light from electronic flash; the one at lower right was make by lining the bird up with the reflection of a bright sunrise.

  • Canon 1D Mk. II, 500 mm IS lens plus 1.4X or 2X converter, fill-in flash (2003)