Bernard Scott (20th C.) "Dusky Canadian Geese" Signed lower right. Original Watercolor on Illustration Board painting. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. With powerful, graceful wings spanning up to six feet, these glorious waterfowl stream south in the familiar "V" formation that gives each bird an unobstructed view. A magnificent honking squadron of Canadian Geese are, indeed, a miraculous sight to behold. Wise old ganders lead the flock over the Pacific, central, Mississippi, and Atlantic flyways on a night and day journey that may stretch four thousand miles. When the exhausted migrants glide down on extended wings to a feeding ground, one or more birds stand guard as the others feed. Well known for their wariness, speed, and strength, the Canada Goose is no easy target for hunters who lurk behind "blinds" along the ancestral flyways. The geese eventually find winter haven in eastern coastal waters, in Mexican lagoons, in interior valleys of California and even in south eastern Alaska. Around sunrise and sunset these handsome birds with their black heads and distinctive white "chin straps," scatter to graze. They feed on waste grain, corn, and the tender shoots of new crops. Or they may seek rural ponds and lakes to nibble the roots of aquatic plants. When the days begin to lengthen, this life of leisure changes. The Canada Goose grows restless; the squawking and honking increases. Then, one morning a group breaks off from the main body, and heads north for the same breeding grounds where they hatched to start the cycle over again. Image Size: 18 x 25.25 in. Overall Size: 20 x 25.75 in. Unframed. (B09859)