Wow, Shari Zirlin just forwarded me a picture of the Orchard Beach Barnacle Goose and the white white band on the injured left leg does indeed appear to be a darvic ring/band (vertical 3 letter code VUB [or possibly 8]!! Also evident in the photo, and mentioned in a separate email from Mark Barriger, the bird has a metal band and a small white band on its right leg. This format is reminiscent of a scheme being used by David Cabot and Steve Percival in Ireland to mark wintering Barnacles from the Greenland population. If correct, this is a outstanding result.
Next question, does the metal band have numbers or other writing on it? If so, it might be possible to read them by telescope. -- Angus Wilson New York City & The Springs, NY, USA http://birdingtotheend.blogspot.com/ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
