Sunday last after enjoying the mockingbird and looking in vain for the
Prairie Falcon at the Kent ponds, I ran into a guy in a green pickup (I
think it's the guy who first found the falcon & mockingbird) and he
mentioned seeing a Ross' Goose a short while previously in a field near the
Smith Bros. dairy south of Kent on the West Valley Rd. So I motored on down
and sure enough found this white goose in the field with Canada's, mostly
small, dark breasted cackling types (but some looking larger and darker than
I expect them to be, and one with a nice white collar)... The white goose
with the black wing-tips and pink bill was with them and marginally larger.
Ah, Ross' I say to meself, but in the scope the bill seems heavy, high
ridged, though grayish at the base and with the "grin" mark but not
contrastingly black, nevertheless conspicuously present. Anyway, it
eventually flew off with the Canada's across SR 167 to the se (it had been
in the field ne of the intersection at the cow statue at the Smith Bros.
dairy. I don't believe it's a Ross' but it didn't look large enough and
lacked the black grin mark of a Snow Goose. So maybe it's a hybrid. If
anyone is in the area you might want to have a look. I'd be interested in
your opinions.

Gene Hunn, Seattle, hunnhome at accessone.com