A small aircraft pilots reported striking several geese in cruise flight. He chose to divert; a temporary repair was made to minimal damage. Continued the flight without securing a ferry permit.

Narrative

We were IFR in IMC conditions at 4000 FT MSL. Suddenly in the windscreen was a flock of 12+ geese. There was no time for evasive action. There were three to four audible impacts between the geese and the aircraft. The aircraft seemed to fly well afterward; but a diversion was in order. We notified ATC of the situation and asked for nearby airports with prevailing winds in line with runway headings. We looked at the nearest airport (VIQ) and determined that the crosswind was likely beyond the capabilities of the aircraft. MFI was selected as an acceptable diversion. Post landing a phone call was made back to ATC to notify them of our successful arrival. Post shut down we inspected the aircraft and noticed that we had encountered at least two bird strikes; one on the right side of the aircraft; one on the left. The strike on the left side of the aircraft resulted in a hole in the wheel fairing. Consulting with both Maintenance and local on-airfield Maintenance a temporary repair was made enabling continuation to destination. Although a repair was made; no official maintenance release was conducted and there was no ferry permit issued for the flight.