Congrats to Peter Yoerg for finding and then quickly getting the word out on the BARNACLE GOOSE present this afternoon (Wed. 3/17--luck of de' Irish noh?) at the "Forestall Flats" within Iroquois NWR. The bird was present during the late afternoon/early evening from 5 to 6 pm where it was viewed by a small group of people as it mostly slept, and then briefly stretched, foraged, and swam amongst roughly 800 Canada Geese (+ a white Snow Goose) at the west end of the partially flooded hayfield north of Oak Orchard Ridge Rd. and east of Route 63. Despite being reasonably close to Route 63, the bird was not visible from the roadside due to a rise in the field, but was well visible looking north from the highest point along Oak Orchard Ridge Rd. west of Ring-neck Marsh overlook. Around 6 pm the bird took off with about a dozen Canada Geese after which they headed NE towards Fletcher Chapel Rd. before disappearing over the distant woodlot at the E end of the field. Kurt Fox and I later searched through a few of the cornfields along Fletcher Chapel, but did not turn up the bird--2 Cackling Geese heading north with separate flocks of Canadas were notable though. As for the Barnacle Goose, no bands were present on either of its legs while interestingly there were at least 2 Canadas within the flock that did sport shiny metal bands of unknown origin (presumably USFWS or CWS). Obviously it cannot be said for certain whether the bird is of captive origin, but regardless the settings in my opinion arguably bode well for wild origin (no bands, at known location for migratory geese during migration amongst a migratory flock of Canada Geese... ). If you have not already, a good read on the NYS Avian Records Committee's updated take on the status of Barnacle Geese in the state can be found under the Barnacle Goose reports in the 2006 NYSARC report here: _http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/Reports/NYSARC2006.html_ (http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/Reports/NYSARC2006.html) Jim Pawlicki Amherst, NY
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