Farm Woman

The unnamed Farm Woman (played by the late Gladys O'Connor) was an American elderly lady who opened her home to Thomas and Amy Alden on their migration route to North Carolina.

The Aldens had to make an emergency landing on her property after the geese joined a large flock of wild geese on the way. The pilots followed them to a pond surrounded by hunters, and the aircrafts startled the men who stopped shooting, allowing the birds to land safely. The Aldens set their planes down on a field and walked around to see who it belonged to when the farm woman greeted them with a rifle and threatening words, thinking they were trespassing hunters. When she recognized Amy from having seen her on the news, her tone changed completely. The Aldens spent the night at the lady's house and were on their way the next morning with the geese having returned to Amy when she had called out to them. Background Information A similar incident took place when Bill Lishman and Joseph Duff flew over Virginia during their second migration operation with Canada geese in 1994; the geese left to follow a flock of wild ones and joined them on a pond belonging to Peggy Augustus who waved the pilots off when she saw them. Duff and Lishman landed on an open field on her property, the Keswisk Horse Ranch, and the owners were about to call the authorities when the pilots explained who they were. Miss Augustus had heard of the project on the news and her attitude changed; a little while later, the whole crew was invited to the ranch where they settled down for the night.