Fog, Ice , Snow Geese And A Bald Eagle At The Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area In Lancaster County
It is March and it was time for my annual visit to see the snow geese at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster County. I have been visiting Middle Creek with my brother and nephew for over 20 years now. Most years we get to see at least see some snow geese that stop on the lake to rest and feed in the nearby corn fields on their migration to the tundra of Canada. There have been a few years we missed the large flocks during the migration but we usually see some wildlife on our trips.
It was about a 1/1/2 hour drive to Middle Creek and it was not fun drive for my brother because of the heavy fog on Interstate 81. It was cloudy and foggy when we arrived just after dawn. We were delayed and quickly began our 1/2 mile walk to Willow Point. 
While walking to the lake we missed the first flocks of snow geese fly off the lake to search for food in the cut corn fields.
When we arrived at the lake,
my brother Mike spotted this bald eagle perched in a tree top near the Willow Point viewing area.
Unfortunately the fog and cloud cover did not make for the best conditions for photography.
We found there was still a lot of ice on the lake. These are Canada geese and tundra swans perched on the ice. 
The snow geese were out on the open water. We waited for them to start moving and leave the lake in a massive flock to search for food in the surrounding countryside. They rest on a lake for a few days before moving on further north.
As myself, and the large group of visitors, both local and from throughout the Commonwealth and Middle Atlantic region waited for the snow geese to take flight, I saw some tundra swans, and, 
ring-necked ducks swimming on the lake 
and a few Canada geese flying in the overhead foggy skies. 
The bald eagle remained perched in the tree until we saw it swoop down on a duck or goose on the lake. It flew to the edge of the lake, out of our sight, and feasted on it’s capture.
Our patience paid off. A large flock of the snow geese took off from the lake,
soon followed my additions flocks. The sky was filled with snow geese circling off into the fog. They will feed for a few hours and return to the safety of the lake
Although it was still an impressive sight and sound it wasn’t as magical as watching the tens of thousands of snow geese circling overhead in the morning sunlight. 
After watching the guess, we walked back to the parking lot, 
seeing some wintercress leaves on the bare ground, 
seeing a few critters, this gray squirrel, and 
this red-winged blackbird.
We walked past this very inspirational bench.
We left the Willow Point parking lot and took the Self-Guided Driving Tour around the impoundment lake that was created in the 1970’s. There is more information by following the links or by searching my blogs from previous years in the archives. 
The drive took us through a number of different habitats, including woodlands, wetlands and farm fields. 
We saw a lot more red-winged blackbirds, 
a flock of tundra swans, and ,
this pretty pheasant ring-necked pheasant. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web-page with some more photos of the snow geese and other birds I saw on my visit to Middle Creek. Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. birds March 7 2026.
We drove through the fields, 
where we saw some snow geese along the road, then,
over a fog shrouded hills, 
and back down to the still frozen north side of the lake. We had seen bald eagles and great blue herons here when the lake was thawed. 
We drove to the Visitor Center, which was remodeled a few years ago, 
and reviewed the many exhibits about the history of the Game Commission,
and displays of local bird and wildlife,
including an extinct passenger piegeon. 
In most years we drive on the road and along the small ponds on the side of the road looking for the heron and many species of ducks migrating through Middle Creek. Not this year, the ponds were frozen solid this year. Because of the fog and frozen ponds and lakes we left Middle Creek this year, driving through the farm lands,
and Amish horse and buggies,
until we hit fog in the mountains again. It wasn’t the best visit to this wildlife refuge, but seeing a bald eagle and thousands of snow geese in the fog was still magical and well worth the drive. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web-page with some more photos from my visit to Middle Creek. Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. March 7 2026.
“The question is not what you look at, but what you see” Henry David Thoreau
“To care for nature is to honor the past, safeguard the present, and secure the future.”
―
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