Part 2, A Reflection on White Geese (1982) Summary and Analysis

The author arrives, after what he describes as a long hard day of driving accompanied by a recording of cello music, at the Southern California wintering ground (Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge) of a giant flock of snow geese. In the company of a friend and colleague, he watches watch the ebb and flow of the flock's settling in. He then reflects upon how the natural habitats of the geese (the arctic regions where they summer, the areas in California where they winter) are under attack from environmental and economic concerns.

That night, when he makes his way to a hotel room, the author finds himself struck by the sudden silence away from the geese, and resolves to find out how noisy they are in the morning. Rising at three, again...