Sunrise-to-sunset day trip reveals thousands of migratory waterfowl
Various species of waterfowl (mostly tundra swans) swim on the lake at Willow Point in Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area at sunrise on Monday, March 9.
Courtesy of Liz Baumeister
Snow geese fly above the lake at Willow Point in Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on Monday evening, March 9.
Courtesy of Liz Baumeister
A flock of snow geese, stirred up by a predator (likely a bald eagle), flies above the lake at Willow Point in Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on Monday afternoon, March 9.
Courtesy of Liz Baumeister
Snow geese (foreground), tundra swans (center), and three immature bald eagles (on ice in background) hang out at the lake at Willow Point in Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on Monday afternoon, March 9.
Courtesy of Liz Baumeister
Tundra swans fly over the lake at Willow Point in Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on Monday evening, March 9.
Courtesy of Liz Baumeister
An eastern bluebird perches on a nest box near one of the stops along the wildlife driving tour at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on Monday morning, March 9.
Courtesy of Liz Baumeister
A red-winged blackbird perches in a grassland area near one of the stops along the wildlife driving tour at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on Monday morning, March 9.
Courtesy of Liz Baumeister
Majestic.
That’s one word to describe the scene at Willow Point in Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.
Especially at sunrise and sunset during waterfowl migration season, when geese, swans, ducks, and other feathered residents and seasonal migrants fill the large lake and sky above with their graceful — although sometimes chaotic — beauty.
Clamorous.
That’s another word to describe it.
When the flocks are stirred up, the honking of thousands of geese — snow and Canada — sounds like an angry traffic jam in the sky.
About a two-hour drive from Wilkes-Barre, Middle Creek is situated at the edge of Lancaster County and borders Lebanon County. According to its page on pa.gov, it is “a near 6,000-acre Wildlife Management Area managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission primarily for waterfowl, grassland nesting birds, and wetland dependent species.” It features an interactive visitor center (which is closed on Mondays, so unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stop in on this trip), a seasonal wildlife driving tour, and over 20 miles of hiking trails.
Each year, thousands of snow geese — among other species — make a pit stop at Middle Creek during their spring migratory trek from their Mid-Atlantic U.S. coastal winter home to their Canadian Arctic breeding grounds. During the peak of the season, recent years have seen over 100,000 snow geese and over 5,000 tundra swans congregate at Willow Point.
People also flock to the area to experience the spectacle.
I made my second visit to Middle Creek last Monday, March 9, and although there weren’t as many as I expected or hoped for, the cloud of snow geese that rose from the lake at sunrise and flew over the trees to spend the day foraging in nearby fields was awe-inspiring. Observing the graceful beauty of the hundreds of swans on the lake and in the sky was the icing on the cake.
Just three days before my visit, the Game Commission reported 65,000 snow geese, 1,000 tundra swans, and 2,200 Canada geese on its 2026 Migration Updates webpage. The agency did not provide a count for last Monday, but by Tuesday, March 10, those numbers had plummeted.
“The count this morning for snow geese was the smallest yet in this year’s count, with only 600 on the water at daybreak, perhaps signaling we’re nearing the end of this year’s snow goose and tundra swan migration season at Middle Creek,” the page states. “The tundra swans outnumbered the snow geese slightly [which seemed to be the case when I was there the day before as well], with 860 swimming in loose flocks all around Willow Point. Canada geese numbers resembled the tundra swans, with two main flocks totaling 780 split between the lake at Stop #1 on the Wildlife Drive and out from Willow Point.”
The waterfowl at Willow Point weren’t the only feathered friends I ran into during my sunrise-to-sunset visit. I also explored the other stops along the driving tour (which I mostly hiked on foot), where I saw turkey vultures, bald eagles, American kestrels, eastern bluebirds, song sparrows, red-winged blackbirds, a Carolina wren, northern cardinals, and a northern mockingbird, to name a handful — and the songbird migration season hadn’t even really begun yet.
At the end of the day, I circled back to Willow Point to watch the sun set over the lake. Exhausted, I sat on the grassy hill and absorbed the peaceful atmosphere. If only it were something I could bottle up and take home as a souvenir. I think all of us could use a little bit of Middle Creek in our daily lives.
Because here’s one more word to describe the scene at Willow Point:
Rejuvenating.
Liz Baumeister is the news editor at the Times Leader. She loves nature, photography, and nature photography. Reach her at lbaumeister@timesleader.com.
Liz Baumeister is the news editor at the Times Leader. She loves nature, photography, and nature photography. Reach her at lbaumeister@timesleader.com.
