Subject: [Tweeters] Blue Geese on Wrangel Island
Date: Feb 8 09:16:49 2006
From: Eugene and Nancy Hunn - enhunn323 at comcast.net


Steve,

Isn't the "Blue Goose" a consequence of a single gene difference? If so, could it not be due to repeated mutations at that site?

Gene Hunn.
----- Original Message -----
From: SGMlod at aol.com
To: Tweeters at u.washington.edu
Cc: k_aanerud at comcast.net ; dennispaulson at comcast.net ; jhbirds384 at hotmail.com ; Sebnabgill at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 8:49 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Blue Geese on Wrangel Island


Greetings All

So, I think it was Dr. Paulson that asked me a couple months ago about whether or not Blue Geese occurred on Wrangel Island. This was apropros of the recent spate of Blue Geese among Fir Island/Stanwood flocks (spate = 2-4 per year).

After some delay, I've heard back from a Russian goose biologist, Konstantin Litvin, who actually sent some photos of Blue Geese on Wrangel. Apparently they are annual there, though he did not indicate in what kind of numbers. He did state that most were males and most paired with Snow Geese. This certainly would explain the Blue Geese found in Skagit/Snohomish, though the two immatures I've seen looked like pure Blues.

Also of note, Maynard Axelson knows of at least one Snow Goose shot by hunters in Skagit County that had been banded in the Canadian Arctic.

So, it is also possible that a Blue Goose or two is coming from that angle. Certainly, e. WA Blue Geese are almost certainly from the Canadian Arctic.

Anyway, thought some of you out there might be interested in this. Blue Geese are not supposed to nest (per various books) anywhere near Wrangel.

Cheers
Steven Mlodinow


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