An early morning Email from Derek Rogers indicated a Ross' Goose was visible on its roost pond in Riverhead at 7am. Capt'n Bob and I arrived much later, my hopes elevated by finding a Blue Goose, then dashed when it showed it's bill and revealed it was not our quarry. Snow Goose has a dark bar the length of the bill, while Ross' goose has a dark patch only at the base of the bill.
No other white geese were present, and the geese in general were constantly departing in small groups. The mass was quite down from the 3-4 thousand geese as estimated by Derek earlier in the day.
We then tried Reeve avenue and Doctors path for the reported Pipets, and struck out there. I decided to cruise Sound avenue in hopes of finding either geese or Pipets or anything. I found some Brown-headed Cowbirds amongst the Starlings. A year bird, but one no one relishes.
We then crossed paths with Earic and Gary Strauss, doing much the same as we were, and having had similar luck. We had stopped by a small pond, and I located a Snow Goose and Wood Duck which were both year birds for Gary, but not a desired Ross'.
Earic clued us in to an Iceland Gull on nearby Iron Pier beach which we found easily, and then we traveled to Hulse Landing Road again as they had had both a Pipet and a Vesper Sparrow. Nope. Savannah Sparrow and lots of Horned Larks, and a bird I tried desperately to make into a Rough-legged Hawk, but time was fleeting and I had to hurry home.
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| Iceland Gull |
Dang. Only one year bird. I'm starting to slip.
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