Goose photographed flying upside down

The Telegraph ^ | 5/20/09

[llevrok]

Brian MacFarlane was amazed when he looked at the photo he had captured of the bird in flight.

The incredible display of mid-flight acrobatics is also a remarkable feat of wildlife photography.

MacFarlane was simply photographing geese buffeted by strong winds at Strumpshaw in Norfolk and did not expect to capture a moment of contortionism.

"The wind was making life difficult for the flying birds," said Mr MacFarlane.

"On closer inspection of the image I realised it had flipped upside down but kept its head the right way up.

"Quite a feat!"

Paul Stancliffe, of the British Trust for Ornithology, based at Thetford, was able to explain the bird's bizarre behaviour.

"It looks like this bird is in mid-whiffle," he said.

"When geese come in to land from a great height they partake in a bout of whiffling, this involves the bird twisting and turning to spill air from their wings and thus lowering their speed prior to landing.

"In 36 years of birdwatching I have seen this many times, particularly when watching pink-footed geese on the north Norfolk coast coming in to roost in the late afternoon and evening. I have, however, never seen a photograph of a bird in mid-whiffle like this. It is an amazing photograph."

[Niteranger68]

Boom...boom......boom!

[a fool in paradise]

Backstroke....

[Scythian]

I read a scientific report that these geese are preparing for the reversal of the magnetic poles in 2012 and they are seeing this phenomenon all over the globe ...

[a fool in paradise]

That’s not human.

Exactly.

[BobinIL]

You forgot the part where he says “ My shotgun only has to have 3 things, Boom, boom, boooom.”

[windsorknot]

Hittin’ the Grey Goose.

[Deek]

Johnathan Livingston Goose...

[RexBeach]

Silly goose.

[Brett66]

What’s the caption on that? If Ted Kennedy were a duck?

[Charles Martel]

That reminds me of numerous ‘toons which depicted birds in flight doing “the backstroke”. Maybe the goose is a Warner Bros. fan.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Photoshop...derr, the head’s upside down...

No, the neck appears to be twisted. Could be real.

[Logic n' Reason]

I bring you the amazing Wisconsin Red Footed Beer/Cheese Grey Goose.

They don't fly anywhere...they run. Too much beer and cheese!

[TRY ONE]

Female goose that flies upside down have crack up!

Paul Lynde (Hollywood Squares) — "how do you tell if it's a female goose: turn it over and see if it smiles!"

[newfreep]

Did ya hear the one about a goose that flies upside down into a bar and sez,....

[webschooner]

Hmmm ... tastes like chicken.

[OB1kNOb]

Obviously another sign of the end times...........

[Ghengis]

The last known picture of George Zip.

[dirtymac]

That is about as credible as much of the stuff that passes for science these days.

[Moose4]

As the goose prepares to do his de-orbit burn and execute re-entry to land at Kennedy Space Center...

}:-)4

[pabianice]

The danger in exceeding Vne.