After work yesterday I stopped in to check for the reported Ross's Goose in North Bay. It was feeding with a group of about 100 Canada Geese on the same set of sports fields when I arrived shortly before 5:00 PM. Several field marks seemed a bit off for Ross's Goose, and it is likely that this bird has some hybrid ancestry with Snow Goose. I've posted some photos of it at: http://joshvandermeulen.blogspot.ca/2014/10/juvenile-rosss-x-snow-goose-north-bay.html. In particular, the bird shows a somewhat curved posterior edge to the bill (where it meets the face) small grin patch, and relatively large bill. If anyone has any thoughts on the identification of the goose please reply send me an email. Directions (from Brent Turcotte's post): The most reliable place to see it is by a bunch of ball fields. To get there go up Highway 11 North. At the second set of lights turn left onto Fisher Street. Go almost all the way to the end of Fisher, turn left onto Main at the lights. Follow Main until you get over an overpass. Turn left at the lights onto Judge Avenue. Drive until you see a parking lot on your left. It will cross a bikepath. If you go beyond the bikepath into the residential area you have gone too far. The Ross's has been seen there most days in the afternoon. Times seen there range from 3:15 PM to 6:45 PM. The Ross's wanders with the Canadian Goose flock and may be in a different part of the city in the morning. One couple found it on a grassy field by the bus terminal. Turn right onto Main then left onto Wyld and follow to the end past the place where the bus' turn in. This parking lot may require a paying for a parking pass or be one of the first two hour free ones. Another possible location is the waterfront itself. Turn right instead of left onto Judge and turn right onto Queen. If its not at Amelia Park, continue onto Memorial Drive on your left. Yet another possible location is the education center. From the end of Memorial Drive turn left onto Main, follow until Gormanville on your right. Go into the roundabout up College Drive. The education center will be on the left. Go to the visitor parking lot if on regular parking hours. Go to the back to a grassy field by a pond, and geese are sometimes there.
Good birding, Josh ----------------------------------------------- Josh Vandermeulen Aurora, Ontario [email protected] 289-221-4695 (cell) joshvandermeulen.blogspot.com (blog) _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
