Weather & Goose Update

This Red-Winged Blackbird had to adjust his perch this morning to accommodate some early season buds.

Bring the kid, simple things like spring buds deserve to be shared on a beautiful morning, even if technically it is still winter.

I returned to Stearn's Lake last evening and again this morning because of all the Chen Goose excitement. Chen is a family of goose that includes Emperor, Snow, and Ross's Species. It is amazing that experienced birders can come to the same lake that I visit and pick out many more abnormal species than I ever detect, but then those are probably the same people who can identify minutiae on a Gull to determine what species and age it is. I am nowhere near that level, and for those people, picking out a rare goose must be a nice change of pace.

I must content myself with my camera and bins, they certainly give me enough identification challenges at this point. So I checked the lake again with better light on my way to work. Two of the three Snow Geese were around, with the white one hanging out even closer to shore this morning.

Perhaps his pose indicates the attitude he has to all the attention that is being paid to his "blue" counterparts. Anthropomorphic I know, "butt" really, watch out where you point that thing buddy! After I took his picture a few times his ego must have been satisfied. He resumed a much more proper pose for a dignified goose.

The "blues" continue to draw interest to Stearn's Lake. I caught one of them while I was there this morning.

I believe that he is the same Snow Goose that has been causing ID questions for me all year. At least he seems to think all the people around are worth a laugh, or maybe they are just preventing him from sleeping in.

Two posts already this morning, and I am just off for my mid-day walk. I even saw the Bald Eagle perched in the trees across from my office earlier today, and that was just going for a cup of coffee. Hopefully other good things await.

2009 Count: 56

Lifetime: 86