I saw similar behavior several years ago on a much larger scale. A hunting buddy and I were drawn for permits for the Primitive Weapons deer hunt at the Pymatuning Goose Management Refuge in Crawford County, Pa. It was 10 below zero on the morning of our mid-January hunt, and I posted very close to the lake, which was completely frozen over.
On the ice, about 200 yards from shore, were thousands of Canada geese that hadn't migrated south. They were all clustered together, and through my binoculars, I could see that their feathers were all puffed out like these birds. Occasionally, a small number would take off and presumably fly somewhere to find food and water. Other small flocks of eight or ten birds would return, and land on the ice, and then rejoin the large cluster to share warmth.
