Subject: Pink-footed Goose, Spokane Audobon Society Trip
Date: Nov 3 20:19:02 2001
From: Mike Patterson - celata at pacifier.com
As much as I hate to be a wet blanket...
According to Madge and Burns (Waterfowl 1988):
Pink-footed Goose 60-75cm (24-30in)
Gr White-fronted Goose 66-86cm (26-34in)
Snow Goose 65-84cm (26-33in)
This is considerable overlap and given the difficulties associated
with judging size in the field probably not significant enough
to be dependable.
I suspect that you may have seen a hatch-year White-fronted Goose.
These do not have the "white front" or the speckled belly. I fact
they look pretty much like Pink-footed Geese with orange legs.
This doesn't mean somebody shouldn't go check the bird out. Of course
given that it's in a county park pond, it may actually be a Pink-
footed Goose, but its origin would be questionable.
> Matthew Moskwik wrote:
>
> Inlanders,
>
> Saturday the Spokane Audobon Society took a field trip to the Bank's
> Lake and the Sun Lakes Region of Central Washington. We had excellent
> weather with temperatures probably in the low 60's and no wind. We
> were able to find several good birds on this trip, including a
> possible Pink-footed Goose at Coulee City County Park. I will list
> the trip highlights below.
>
> 4 Snow Geese: Swimming in a small bay at Coulee City County Park with
> the Pink-footed Goose.
>
> 1 Pink-footed Goose: Because of the extreme rare nature of this
> sighting nobody in the party was totally sure that we were indeed
> looking at a Pink-footed Goose, however the bird seemed to match the
> description in the National Geographic Field Guide. The goose that we
> observed was associating closely with the group of Snow Geese that we
> also observed at the park. At first we thought that it was a Greater
> White-fronted Goose, but on closer observation we realized that it
> couldn't be one for two reasons. The goose was a lot smaller than a
> Greater White-fronted Goose. It was smaller than the Snow Geese, but
> larger than a Mallard. It had a pinkish bill with a dark tip (these
> features were noted by everyone on the trip, probably 15 observers).
> The base of its bill may have also been dark, but this feature was
> difficult to observe in the light, so I cannot be sure. We were
> unable to see the leg color of the goose, since it was in the water.
> Therefore, it is possible that this goose was indeed a Pink-footed
> Goose, however that still doesn't mean that it is a wild bird. Warren
> Hall, our trip leader and an excellent birder in E. Washington, even
> said that it's possible that this may be a Pink-footed Goose.
> Therefore, if anyone is in the area, they may want to check this bird
> out.
>
> 2 Surf Scoters: At the south end of Blue Lake.
>
> 2 White-winged Scoters: On Lake Lenore
>
> 1 Red-necked Phalarope
--
Mike Patterson When I despair, I remember
Astoria, OR that all through history
celata at pacifier.com the way of truth and love have always won.
There have been tyrants, and murderers,
and for a time they can seem invincible,
but in the end they always fall.
Think of it...always.
- Mahatma Gandhi
http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html