13 December 2008
In the near shore beach surf, with a Blue-morph Snow Goose, which has
been here for some time (over one week), we observed two Blue-Phase
Ross Geese/Hybrids at noon hour at Port Burwell Municipal Beach,
We have had up to nine Snow/Ross's/Hybrid Geese over the past week to
10 days here.
We observed these three birds today in a flock of about 500 Canada
Geese.
The standard of observation was a classic Blue-morph Snow Goose with
white head, blue/grey body and white undertail coverts with the
grinning pinkish beak.
The two Blue-morph/Hybrid Ross/Snows were smaller viewed alongside the
Snow Goose which they closely associated with.
We believe them to be hybrids because in size they were much smaller
than the Snow Goose. Their heads were grey not white; and they had
white undertail coverts, not grey as an immature Snow Goose. One bird
stood up in the water and flapped, spreading the wings. It was
observed that it had grey-white underwing coverts. The heads were
rounded and the bills were dirty pinky-grey.
Observers were Ron Allensen and Joe Stephenson.
Directions:
Port Burwell is on Lake Erie at the southern terminus of Highway 19
(Plank Road) about 30 miles south of the the 401 where it intersects
Highway 19 near Ingersoll.
The East Municipal Beach is on the east side of the harbour just below
the lighthouse.
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