To my knowledge the bird has not been relocated. In fact the number of geese and dabblers is way down on what we had yesterday. The Greater White-fronted Geese have also not been seen. Birders are on the island searching and will hopefully provide updates as the day progresses. Personally, I am heading off the island and won't be back to continue the search until much later this afternoon (if at all). Mark.
Sent from my iPhone > On 11 Mar 2016, at 17:11, Mark D. Read <[email protected]> wrote: > > Unfortunately the bird has not been relocated. I last checked at about 4pm. > The ice flows it was on have now dispersed and the area has opened up > enormously since this morning with very little ‘major’ ice remaining in this > area. Almost all of the several thousand Canada Geese that were also present > have now departed, though about 1000 Snow geese remain. Button Bay, located > nearby, has opened up a little and a single Greater White-fronted Goose was > seen on fields there just after 4pm. > > Unfortunately none of my photos came out that well (phone-scoped) – certainly > none show the distinctive bill pattern. At the time, I felt that we were > seeing a ‘Tundra’ form, and upon checking references I feel confident this is > correct. I originally posted this as a ‘probable’ Bean Goose due to the > enormity of the sighting but I never doubted my first instinct. However, as > with any waterfowl, the origin of the bird must be questioned as well as the > outside possibility of an aberrant (orange-legged!) Pink-footed Goose. The > latter scenario is unlikely and the pale-fringed tertials and coverts > (characteristic of bean Goose) were noted by all observers on this adult bird. > > Birders will be trying to decide whether to try for it tomorrow or not. > That’s a tough one for sure but I will update as I can. > > Mark. > > From: Mark D. Read [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: 11 March 2016 14:37 > To: ONTBIRDS > Subject: Probable Bean Goose - Wolfe Island > > Birders! Erwin Batalla, Alex Simmons and Paul Mackenzie just dropped by to > inform me of an unusual goose they found at Horne’s Ferry, Wolfe Island. They > initially suspected Pink-footed Goose due to the small size, dark head and > pale body. They had just been observing the Greater White-fronted Geese on > 5th Line and this bird struck them as quite different. I went out with them > and quickly located the bird which had now stepped up onto an ice flow. It > was clear that the bird had orange feet and legs. Although a long way out, > good scope views were afforded with the sun at our backs and the striking > bill pattern of thick dark base, narrow orange band towards tip and black tip > was clearly seen. The giss of the bird and pattern of the bill was very > reminiscent of the Pink-footed Goose in Moose Creek last year. Of course > immature Greater White-fronted Goose was considered and apart from the bill > pattern, obvious pale fringes to the tertials/coverts were clearly seen and > the underparts were pale and unmarked – not showing even a hint of attaining > any of the dark streaks associated with Greater White-fronted Goose. The bird > was not banded. > > The bird was initially seen swimming in the open channel north of the ferry > dock (at about 12:30) but later moved up onto the ice. The ice was drifting > left when we left (at 13:30). There is also a Greater White-fronted Goose at > this location – assumed to be a different bird to the 8 previously reported. > > I tried to take some digiscope photos. Will upload if they come out but the > bird was too far for regular photos. > > Directions: Wolfe Island is reached by a free ferry from downtown Kingston > (at the east end of Barrack Street). The ferry is currently docking at Dawson > Point (on Wolfe island), from where you will travel south to Hwy 96, then > west to the village of Marysville. After the shops turn left onto Hwy 95 and > follow it all the way to the end where you will reach a custom checkpoint > (closed) and the ferry dock. Walk out onto the dock and view north. All land > surrounding the dock is private. > > Mark. > > Mark D. Read > 337 Button Bay Road, > Wolfe Island, > Kingston, Ontario > K0H 2Y0 > Canada > > Mobile: +1 (613) 217-1246 > Home: +1 (613) 385-1651 > Email: [email protected] > Blog: “Confessions of a Global Birder” http://markdread.blogspot.com > Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markdread/ > > eBird Guidelines for Reporting Sensitive Species > _______________________________________________ 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
