For those of you considering looking for the Bean Goose outside of Ottawa, I thought I'd summarize some information that is scattered around in other places online (mostly the Ontario Birds Discord server: https://discord.gg/EXJ5S9e). If you're lucky enough to see it, please share your sightings with others that may be looking.
Sightings to date: November 8: The bird was initially found in Quebec at the Masson Settling Ponds. This is just across the Ottawa River from Cumberland, Ontario. At 3:30 pm, the bird flew south into Ontario and was found shortly after feeding in a farm field on the east side of Dunning Road, just south of Cumberland. Shortly after 5pm, the bird flew north, presumably to roost for the night November 9: The bird was found just before 8 am in the same general area as the previous afternoon feeding in a farm field off Dunning Road, south of Cumberland with Canada Geese. At about 8:45, the bird was relocated slightly southeast in a farm field off Sarsfield Rd, again with Canada Geese. It was last seen about 1010 flying over quarry ponds on Giroux Road near Navan, slightly further south. From about 10 am onwards, all geese in the area were roosting on nearby water bodies. Geese began to head back to fields to feed around 3:30 pm but it was not relocated. November 10: The bird was seen briefly at the Giroux Road quarry pond at about 1:45 pm but flew south out of sight. Places to check: Most of the geese seem to be following a predictable daily pattern: roost overnight on water, head out to fields to feed at dawn, return to water around 10 am, and then head back to fields to feed at about 3:30 until dark. If you're looking during the middle part of the day, you are likely best to focus on potential water roosts: Masson Settling Ponds (in Quebec): https://ebird.org/canada/hotspot/L2825964 Ottawa River: birds may roost anywhere along here but about 1000 geese have been present just east of Cumberland ferry. Giroux Road quarry ponds: https://ebird.org/canada/hotspot/L1497745. You can view both main ponds from Giroux Road, but there is also a third pond further south that is not accessible. Based on the sightings yesterday and today, this seems like a very likely spot the bird may be roosting. Nolan Quarry pond: https://ebird.org/canada/hotspot/L7935337. A large number of geese regularly roost here. There are two other ponds to the west which may be worth checking: https://ebird.org/canada/hotspot/L2187801 and https://ebird.org/canada/hotspot/L676815 During "feeding time" (dawn and dusk) the best strategy is to probably start south of Cumberland and check as many flocks of field-feeding geese as possible in the short time window. If you have the ability, splitting up to cover more ground is likely best. Checking fields near the Giroux Road quarry ponds (or standing on the road watching geese leave the roost) may also be a good strategy. There is probably only about an hour or two window twice a day. Identification: The specific identification (Taiga vs Tundra Bean Goose) is still being debated but both species are incredibly rare in Ontario and indeed in North America. If you have **ANY** photos, please submit them to the Ontario Bird Records Committee (obrcsecret...@gmail.com) for archiving and for reaching out to goose experts for formal feedback. Good luck! Mike Burrell -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Ontbirds is reserved for sightings of provincially rare birds. To post a message on Ontbirds, send an email to: birdalert@ontbirds.ca. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Ontbirds Moderators by email at birdal...@ofo.ca. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines To edit your membership settings visit the Ontbirds setup page at: http://ontbirds.ca/mailman/listinfo/birdalert_ontbirds.ca. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
