Recently, we had a rather dark and windy night. It was a cold north wind, and the sky was overcast and grey.

Around midnight I heard not one, but two large flights of geese go by cackling all the way. Normally, I call them hooters but cackling works as well, and I read somewhere that they do this to help keep their position in the infamous V-shaped flight formation.

I can never remember all the types of geese we have in the North, so I looked it up in a bird book. Snow geese, RossSA国际影视传媒檚 Geese, white-fronted geese, Brant geese, cackling geese and, of course, Canada geese. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 six different types of geese.

There is an old saying in the North that in the late fall, if you hear flocks passing over late at night, that probably means snow is coming soon. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 a pretty good prediction late in the fall. The fall is a busy season for birds migrating south. The geese that chatter to one another are usually easy to see. Just scan the sky when you hear the racket they make. However, lots of other birds are in migration mode, so it is worth scanning the sky even if you donSA国际影视传媒檛 hear anything.

Now, some people claim the birds and geese can sense that a storm is coming and that is what triggers their migration. It is certainly possible because if you watch the birds and critters, some seem to know when bad weather is coming. I have worked in the bush with some fellows who certainly seem able to predict when a big storm is coming. When an old-timer says, SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 time to head back to camp before the storm hits,SA国际影视传媒� best listen to him or her because you donSA国际影视传媒檛 want to get caught out in lousy weather.

Some people actually feel the weather in their bones. The theory is that as a large low-pressure area is approaching, the air pressure begins to drop and this causes gases in your blood and joints to expand, which creates pressure and pain. This begins to happen hours before you see the storm coming, so it signals itSA国际影视传媒檚 time to get back to your cabin or camp.

It seems to work, and I suspect that lots of people, birds and critters sense these things. There is another adage that when you see squirrels gathering up and storing lots of spruce cones, that can indicate a cold winter ahead. Mind you, every winter I have ever experienced in the North has been cold SA国际影视传媒� sooner or later.

I often try to see things from the critters or birdsSA国际影视传媒� point of view. So, when the flock of geese flew over Yellowknife it was a dark and windy night but they must have seen the city lights and maybe sensed its smells. How they navigate particularly at night is another question. When it's daytime, telling directions is much easier because if you can see where the sun is in the sky and you know the time, you can pretty much figure out, where north, south, east and west are.

But how do they do that at night? Or are they just being pushed along by the tail wind? After they cross Great Slave Lake, they will soon be in the northern prairies and then the southern more populated areas. They are heading for their winter-feeding grounds, and this is something they have been doing for generations as they slowly watch humans take over more and more land. I wonder what they think about it?

When the last ice age ended around 8,000 years ago and the ice slowly melted, the geese and other birds followed it north as plants, birds, insects and animals populated the newly-emerging land. More breeding grounds meant more birds, so their population increased, just like the human population. Just imagine what a history book written by the cacklers or honkers would be like. It would be an interesting read, I am sure.