Gary, interesting behavior note.  I saw a group of Canadas harassing what I thought was a Cackling at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis on New Year's Day.  The bird would move among the Canadas, as if it were looking for a place to "settle in", and then the bigger birds would nudge it along or make a gesture toward it, as if to shoe it away.  There's so much overlap between parvipes and some of the Cackling subspecies, and the size and shape difference, though fairly distinctive, was not as striking as I would have preferred both for the bill and the body.  I did not mention it as a "count week" species for the Annapolis CBC, but perhaps the count organizers will consider this record.
Ross Geredien
Annapolis/Edgewater

--- On Sat, 1/9/10, Gary Ender (home) <> wrote:

From: Gary Ender (home) <>
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Hains Pt Cackling Goose plus bonus - Jan 9
To: 
Date: Saturday, January 9, 2010, 8:54 PM

On my fourth or fifth try, I finally found a/the CACKLING GOOSE among about 200 or so Canadas at the north end of the golf course on Hains Point at dusk today.  It really is quite diminutive in comparison and the bill quite stubby.  The Canadas were harrassing it a bit as it grazed on the edge of the flock.

Thanks to those posting recently and especially Clive Harris, who posted a picture that was very helpful in identification.

I circled around Hains Pt after that, observing mostly the ice structures in the Anacostia (and the usual gulls).  When I reached the exit from Hains Pt back to the tidal basin, a RED FOX crossed the road from the Potomac and entered the golf course (through or under the fence) and stopped to observe me from behind a large tree before moving on.

One lifer and one urban fox.  Nice way to end the afternoon.

Good birding!

Gary Ender
Bethesda MD