Sunday 15 March 2009

Bean had?




Bloody hell - what a palaver! I wish I'd never come across that orange-legged goose now... Not really, I love a mystery and boy, is this turning into a good one!
I'm sure some goose-savvy expert will have all the ansers (pun intended) and I'll be delighted to be thoroughly discredited by having erroneously called it a bean goose if it turns out to be nothing more than not-pinkfoot (in as much as it has orange feet).
Have a look at the pics Dan took today while we were trying our hardest to figure out what the hell was going on and feel free to comment either on this blog, or on the LDBWS website. We've come up with very convincing arguments for just about every conceivable outcome so come on, surprise us!

On a more typical thread, highlights from the Aldcliffe area today included the above mentioned goose amongst approx 800 normal (ie boring) pinkfeet as well as 3 pairs of gadwall, 4 tufted duck, 13 goldeneye, 1 green sandpiper and a spotted redshank.
The first real sub-Saharan migrants in the shape of 2 sand martins blasted through early afternoon adding to the feeling of spring in the air.

The late afternoon owl-session was abandoned due to a piece of beef being in the oven which meant that I missed the barn owl by 2 minutes, though ominously the long-eared, after yesterday's notable change of habit, wasn't (as far as I'm aware) seen at all. Despite the huge crowds gathered in anticipation.

3 comments:

Pete Marsh said...

Hello Jon
From Ian:
Ad Med Gull in psp Snatchems (Golden Ball area) this morning

My computer screen at home is rubbish e.g. cannot read the Lancs Moth group stuff at all against the dark green background but are you implying the bill on the goose is not orange? As I said, would prefer to view on the Heysham office screen

Pete

Pete Marsh said...

Hello Jon
Looks more like a PFG on this better resolution screen

Pete Marsh said...

Re-Bean; Possibly too much white at the end of the tail but difficult to see

If it was structurally different as you say and the bill was not pink as it appears in the top photo, why not rossicus?