Dear Jim and Tweeters:

Interesting that you have a Ross' Goose near Kent. For the record, there is
another Ross' Goose that has been present for some time with Canada Geese in
and near Como Lake Park in Coquitlam, a suburb of Vancouver, B.C. For
current updates on this bird, phone the Vancouver RBA at (604) 737-3074.

While it's hard to be certain that a Ross' Goose in the Puget Sound/Gulf of
Georgia area is not an escapee (I don't want to get into the XAHU thing
again!), I expect that both the Coquitlam and Kent birds are most likely
wild. The Reifel Bird Sanctuary once had a flock of 17 captive
(wing-clipped) Ross' Geese (late 60s, early 70s), but the last one died many
years ago. (Many were picked off, one at a time, by eagles!) The continental
population of Ross' Geese has increased dramatically in recent years, and
one would expect them to show up in coastal B.C. and western Wash. more
often than in the past. Vancouver has had at least 6 or 7 records of Ross'
Geese over the years, most often with Snow Geese in the fall, but at least
once previously (May of 1984) a lone bird with Canadas.



-----Original Message-----
From: Jim P. Flynn <bf519 at scn.org>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, February 26, 1999 12:15 AM
Subject: Ross' Goose in Kent/Auburn


>Hi Tweets,
>
> There's a Ross' Goose in the Green River valley, near
>the Kent/Auburn city limits. I first learned of this bird about
>two weeks ago when Roger Orness called and told me about it. It's
>very near where I work so I looked for it the next day without
>luck, but Roger e-mailed me Tuesday after seeing it again. Again
>I looked for it during lunchtime yesterday, but didn't find it.
>The third time being the charm (in my case anyways - Roger having
>much better luck) I saw the bird today around 2 PM. It's feeding
>with a flock of 35 Canada Geese.
> If you're interested in looking for it take the S. 277th
>Street exit off Hwy 167 (the valley freeway) and go left/East if
>southbound, and right/East if northbound. Follow S. 277th across
>two sets of railroad tracks to the intersection with Auburn Way
>North/S. 83rd Ave. The Valley Drive-in will be opposite you,
>diagonally, on the right. Straight ahead is the new extension of
>S. 277th under construction. There is a barricade in the middle
>of the road saying "Local Access Only" which you drive around.
>The construction is not too daunting and may be inactive during
>weekends, but in any case if you drive down the road to the
>first lefthand street which is a deadend, you can drive along
>here scanning the fields, while being totally out of the way
>of the construct. I saw the bird in the field immediately
>to the right after making the left on the deadend road. The
>grass is quite lush so it's possible the goose could be a
>little hard to see; the presence of the larger, harder to miss
>Canadas should be your clue to really look thoroughly. I
>didn't see the geese the first two times I was there, so if
>they're not there, the Ross' Goose probably isn't either.
> There are a lot of ducks in the fields on the West side
>of the road to look at even if the Ross' Goose isn't around.
>Wigeon, Pintail, Gadwall, GW Teal and Mallards are all feed-
>ing daily in the area, and there are a number of Mew and
>Glaucous-winged Gulls as well.
> If you want to make a day of it try birding around the
>dairy across Auburn Way North. This is Smith Dairy III, which is
>not the same as the bigger Smith Bros Dairy along W. Valley Hwy.
>Smith Dairy III often has a Merlin in the trees nearby which
>feeds on the abundant flocks of blckbirds, starlings, etc. The
>field here is also good for gulls and Whiter River Feed, just to
>the West along the railroad tracks, has good sparrow flocks in
>the blackberry patches. Other good spots include the West Valley
>Smith Dairy, the M Street farm pond West of Emerald Downs horse
>racing track and Clay Street marsh, just North of West Main, in
>downtown Auburn. The heron rookery at West Valley Hwy and Hwy
>18/Peasley Canyon Rd (SW corner of intersection) should have
>some activity going on as well. If you go Saturday you could
>even include a trip to the Kent Ponds which will be open from
>8 to 12, although it sounds like you might have to bird it in
>the rain Saturday.
>
> Jim Flynn
> Renton, WA
>