Goose Fest 2011.

I finished up my dog-sitting responsibilities yesterday so I figured it was a good time to go look for some interesting birds that turned up over the weekend.  I opted to look for the Brant that someone spotted in the huge flock of Cackling/Canada Geese at Heron Lakes Golf Course.  

It was challenging, to say the least...


There were already thousands of geese on the ground and they just kept on coming... I was psyched to find five Snow Geese hanging out close to the road, the most unconcerned Snow Geese I have ever encountered... 



While scanning the geese another birder arrived and we chatted a bit.  I immediately recognized his name from posts on OBOL but I was surprised when I told him my first name and he knew my last name from posting also.  Turns out his high school girlfriend had the same name as me so when he saw my name he remembered it (and was curious if I was her, I think).  Funny stuff.  

Of the thousands of cacklers, I noticed one with some possible leucism: 


Eventually the other birder located the Brant in his scope and I managed to see it just before it disappeared behind a hill.  After waiting quite awhile, the Brant emerged once again and gave some fleeting views during which I took a couple awful photos for the record... 


Yeah, you can barely see its head in the back row there.. Ah well.  On the way out of the golf course I stopped to look at eight Greater White-fronted Geese...



A rather pleasant goosey afternoon.   

But wait, there's more! 

When I got home that evening I saw on OBOL that an Emperor Goose had been seen at Tualatin River NWR!  I headed there first thing this morning and found two birders already had the bird in their scopes.  It was really far away...


What do you mean you can't see it???  Ha.  The other birders let me get great looks through their scopes.  I attempted a couple shots through one of the scopes but I am not so good at that...


Yeah.  It's cool.  I still saw six species of geese in the last 24 hours... Now I will just wait for a Barnacle and a Pink-footed to land in my yard.  Goose fest!

Comments

  1. Hi Jen, you sure did have a goosey day there. I love the greater white front geese. The Snow Geese seem to be arriving in large number here too. Sorry, your digiscoping did not work out but congrats on your sighing. Great photos, happy Birding

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  2. I still have been unable to find a Cackling Goose. All look the same to me. Great shots on the Snow Geese. They usually take flight pretty quick.

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  3. Super cool. I'm looking for both tomorrow. Wish me luck!

    BTW - was the Tualatin Screech-Owl around?

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  4. Great goose hunting, Jen! It's amazing how unskittish the snow geese were. The Emperor is a great find, too! Good stuff!

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  5. @Rhett- Good luck! I've only seen that owl once and it was two years ago... I am more than confident that you will find it though, since you seem to have a way with owls...

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  6. I think your Emperor Goose photo turned out a little better than mine. :-) It sure was a ways out there wasn't it.

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  7. WELL DONE GOOSE!!
    Awesome to have so many species right in your view!!! I Like your new page format, and just checked out your About Me tab...very cool!!!

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