Hi Tweets -

Arrived at the Hoquiam Airport this morning at 8:45 and very shortly
after was joined by three birders from Eugene (sorry I don't remember
their names). We made our way out to the start of the Sandpiper trail,
scanned the area around the runway. After a few minutes Bruce LaBar came
back down the boardwalk and said the Bean Goose was down at the end of
the runway. We immediately made the forced march to about 100" feet from
where the walk goes out toward the marsh. The group of eight geese,
including the Bean Goose was on the far side of the end of the grassy
section beyond the runway, with all birds with heads down and feeding
steadily. Beansie put its head up for about 30 seconds to a minute and
then the group worked over the edge of the slope. For the next 20 or so
minutes we had to be content with seeing the backs of the birds with an
occasional Canada Goose raising its head. Finally at 0945 the Bean Goose
raised its head for an extended period of time allowing the distinctive
profile and head shape to be well seen, and the bill color and orange
spot to be seen (the birds were about 200 yards away then). For the next
20 minutes we had to be content with brief glimpses as the birds moved
back and forth just along the edge of vision, never coming completely
above the edge of the field. Finally, about 1010 or so the whole group
came above the edge and we could get whole body views including the
legs. As mentioned by others the Canadas were very dusky and the Bean
Goose appeared about the same size and maybe a tad larger. It also
appeared to be somewhat more sandy brown than the Canadas.

In all the time we observed BG it appeared somewhat more clumsy than the
other geese, walking with a jerky gait and often seeming to rock
slightly from side to side.

The steady stream of people arriving to see this intriguing bird began
just before I left, about 1035. Ran into Bob Sundstrom and Sally
Alhadeff back at the car. As of 1215 it had not started to rain, but ran
into steady rain on the way home.

Good birding for those heading out tomorrow - I expect this bird will be
searched for assiduously on the Grays Harbor CBC tomorrow, hope they
find it.

Brian H. Bell
Woodinville WA
bellasoc at isomedia.com