Thursday January 12th - Geese Galore

 

Thursday January 12th – Geese Galore

          On Thursday morning we drove to the Bowling Green Golf Course which is adjacent to the football stadium to see a gaggle of geese.  There is a large retention pond on the golf course where dozens of geese were flocking.  We were able to see lots of Canadians as well as about 25 Greater White-fronted Geese and 3 Cackling Geese.  Three days later we went back and saw a Snow Goose at the same spot.

          Greater White-fronted Geese are scarce in Ohio but are usually found in small numbers every winter.  Vagrants often join flocks of other geese whenever they are found.  The White-fronted Goose is a stocky brown goose that has a patch of white feathers bordering the base of its bill.  It is somewhat smaller than most Canadian Geese.

          The Cackling Goose is a small compact goose, with a short neck, and a rounded head.  It has short legs and a small stubby bill.  Some are not much bigger than a Mallard. 

The snow goose is a medium-sized goose that has two color morphs, white and "blue." These used to be considered separate species. Both forms have pink bills, pink legs and pink feet. The white morph is mostly white, with black wingtips. The blue morph is mostly grayish brown overall, with a white head and neck.

                                              Snow Goose with Canadian Geese

                                                 Cackling Goose with Canada Goose

                                                 Greater White-fronted Geese



 

 

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