Snow geese at Munson Pond - and yet the construction continues

Juvenile snow goose at Munson Pond in Kelowna, Oct 5, 2025.

There were well over 100 Canada geese floating on the surface of Munson Pond yesterday.  I didn't notice the two gray birds floating amongst them until a fellow avian enthusiast pointed them out.  I immediately changed position so I could photograph the nearest one with the sun at my back.  That way, I would capture the bird in the best light. 

If you look up snow geese in a bird book, you will find that they have a yellow bill, but juveniles have a gray one.  Apparently, these birds overwinter in southern BC along the coast.  I do not expect this pair to stay for long, which again speaks to the importance of Munson Pond as an ecologically valuable body of water.

I happened to bring along my DSLR with a kit lens and attached polarizer filter and took some photos of the congregation of birds.  It was a grand day and, with the exception of the overhead bald eagle causing some excitement, the birds were enjoying a time of rest before continuing on with their trip.  You can see the photo below.

Canada geese resting on Munson Pond.  Notice there is one snow goose.

The construction of bringing Burtch Road past the lake and joining KLO is still in the planning with preconstruction going forward.  Construction will begin in the spring of 2026 and finish the following year.  You can see information here.  The importance of Munson Pond to wildlife, local and transient, not to mention human recreation, is obviously being ignored by the powers that be.  It is very sad that, once again, nature takes a back seat to "progress."  

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com




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