Ross's Goose, Allegan Co. 1-26-09

[brighamr at freeway.net]

Greetings,
I observed an individual juvenile Ross’s Goose
in the Todd Farm Unit of the Allegan State Game Area between 3:45 and 4pm today. It was swimming among 5000 Canada Geese
and Mallard in the Black River Drain on the south side of
118th  
Ave. just east of the Farm Unit headquarters.
It displayed the classic traits for this species having a vertical
interface of feathering and bill base, blue gray hue to the basal half of
the pinkish bill, an almost indiscernible grin patch on a stubby
triangular bill, size very close to that of the Mallards it kept bumping
into and a small round head with a tiny dark eye. There was a gray shading
to the very crown of the bird, but otherwise it was pure white with the
exception of its black primaries. This is a different bird than the other
three I’ve seen here in the county this winter as the shading on the
crown comes down onto the forehead and not as far back towards the
nape.
Good birding,
Rick Brigham
Douuglas
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