Subject: [Tweeters] Queries on cowbirds & Geese
Date: Oct 9 16:00:15 2007
From: Gary Bletsch - garybletsch at yahoo.com


Dear Tweeters,

Some common birds in Skagit County lately have me
asking questions about uncommon characteristics.

I have seen several male BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS in
various places over the last three weeks, each of
which showed a number of LEAD-WHITE MARKINGS. The
birds had large areas of whitish on the central
breast, spreading out on the belly, and also whitish
markings on head and elsewhere. The pattern looked
patchy. These birds have shown up at distant
locations, so I did not think they were the same birds
each time. I also doubted whether this was some sort
of albinism--it seemed more like some moult
phenomenon. Do any Tweeters know about these cowbirds?

On to CANADA GEESE. There have been two oddball geese
showing up in various parts of the county.

One of them, SIMILAR TO A SNOW GOOSE in overall
plumage color, seems to be the same bird that has
shown up for a number of years now in the Upper Skagit
Valley, always with Canada Geese. This bird has orange
rather than pink feet and legs, and an orangish bill.
It is clearly bigger than any of the Canadas in the
flock, although the Canadas aren't small-looking at
all. Flying with the flock, it seems perfectly able to
get around in the air with its flock-mates. It has the
dark neck-streaks or "slashes" that various species of
"Chen" or "Anser" geese have. The bird looks like a
Snow Goose, but the leg color and the lack of
clear-cut black areas on the wings makes me doubt. It
does have quite a bit of dark on the wings, but not
black. Have other Tweeters seen this fellow? I am
beginning to wonder whether the bird that I saw in
late August at Hayton Preserve might have been this
weirdo, rather than the Snow Goose that I called it.
Certainly, when the bird appears up here in the Lyman
area, I don't call it a Snow--or is it?

There is also an oddball Canada that shows up
everywhere from Padilla Bay to Lyman--this bird has a
large area of white on the nape and head, but
otherwise looks like a good Canada. Have other birders
seen this guy? He pops up all over the place!

I have even seen Canada Goose flocks this last few
weeks where both of the oddballs were present
together!




Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch

near Lyman (Skagit County), Washington

garybletsch at yahoo.com



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