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Re: Snow Goose - Black Hill Regional Park , 11/24/09

From:

Andy Martin

Reply-To:

Andy Martin

Date:

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:06:12 -0500

I went out to Black Hill this morning about 8 AM to see the Snow Geese 
and than planned to go over to look for Czaplak's oriole. There was one 
white goose in field where Joe Hanfman reported them yesterday. When I 
got the scope on it however, I could not discern a grin patch and also 
did not see any black primaries. The bird quite large, all white with 
light gray flanks. Bill and leg color were pinkish.

Not feeling sure of myself, I drove over to boat ramp to see if the 
resident white domestic goose was still around. He was, along with the 
resident Graylag.  There were also 2 add'l white geese hanging out with 
2 Canada's a little further out in lake.

I looked at these 2 white geese expecting them to be the Snow's but 
again, no grin patch or discernible black on primaries. These 2 birds 
looked like clones of the bird back in the field off Old Baltimore Rd. 
The 2 white geese and 2 Canada's took flight before I could put them in 
the scope.

I than drove back to Old Baltimore Rd to look again at the first bird. 
When I got there, the whole Canada Goose flock plus 3 white geese were 
in flight leaving the field. I could see no black on primaries as the 
white geese flew away. Could not relocate flock after this point.

I cannot comfortably say any of the birds I saw today were Snow Geese 
(and to big to be Ross). I have a suspicion that besides the resident 
domestic white goose that hangs out near boat ramp, there may be 3 other 
feral white geese around Black Hill RP that can fly and feed with the 
Canada flocks.

If someone sees these birds or the Snow's reported by Joe Hanfman, 
please post.

Also had a late Osprey near the boat ramp area.

Andy Martin
Gaithersburg