Tweeters,

Some of the discussion the other day about the EMPEROR GOOSE that's been
observed over on the west side brought a few things to mind which I'll
share.

On the Columbia River here, the ever increasing flocks of local nesting
CANADA GEESE have been joined by dozens of free-flying, escaped or
abandoned "barnyard geese" and some interbreeding is taking place. This
fall I have observed a feral goose in one of the local flocks which
appears to be a CHINESE GOOSE X GREYLAG GOOSE hybrid and with it where
what appeared to be three first winter birds which appeared to be the
offspring of this bird and a CANADA GOOSE. They are very strange looking
waterfowl.

A couple of falls ago a first-winter GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE showed
up here in the park and stayed for the winter, mixing with the local
geese, wild and feral, which are feed by the public. By the time spring
arrived this bird could be approached to within ten feet.

Several springs back we had a brief visit from ROSS' GOOSE that had
attached itself to a small flock of CANADA GEESE. All these birds would
permit themselves to be closely approached. Someone at the time
suggested that they'd all spent the winter in some park in California.

Does any of this prove anything? Of course not. :-)


Dennis K Rockwell
Kennewick, Washington
denniskrockwell at juno.com

"There are no eternal facts, as there are no absolute truths."
Nietzche

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