The Goose That Got Away – November 22, 2011

Posted on October 14, 2013 by birdquest2004

Last week I saw a rare bird posting of a Greylag Goose that was seen in Chambly, near Montreal.  It was associating with a group of Canada Geese.   I would have love to go right away but I had just started my midnight shift and just couldn’t get away.

I decided that if the bird was still around I would make a run for it Monday.

I left at 6am when my shift ended and drove to Chambley, and arrived at the area at 9am.  First thing I did was go in search of the Juvenile Great Cormorant near the wharf.  It was right where it had been reported the day before. Good views with the scope but no chance for a photo.

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Moving on and not  many geese were on the water.  I drove around familiarizing myself with the area, geese started arriving in numbers.  I found an area that offered the best vantage point and scoped many birds, with no luck.

Birders from all over North America began arriving John Vanderpoel http://www.bigyear2011.com/ and 7 people filed out of a rental, later birders from NE USA plus many locals, arrived.  With that many spotting scopes (20+) pointed at the water.

I met Raymond Belhumeur (he originally found the goose) and his friends from the Montreal area.

I thought it won’t be long now before that Greylag is in the books.

Now remember I had to be back at work for 6pm, so I decided noon would be it.  LOLOLOL  sure I left at 1pm.  The goose never showed.  I got home at 4pm, slept until 5 and here I am at work.   I think my wife Sue is right I am obsessesd…lol.

One of Raymonds friends asked me to post my photo of a Barn Owl…since the Goose was a no show..why not

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Un des amis de Raymonds m’a demandé de publier mes photos d’une effraie des clochers, ici il est et plus …

Never did see the Greylag Goose, here’s a photo of one from Europe

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Pink-footed Goose – November 9, 2011

Posted on October 14, 2013 by birdquest2004

I came down for my yearly hunting trip to Nova Scotia, with family.   I always look at the birding reports before leaving and was surprised to learn there was a Pink-footed Goose in Windsor, NS.

It had been reported as far back as October 22nd, associating with about a hundred Canada Geese.

After a 15 hour drive, I arrived in Windsor, at about 4:45pm (sun had just about gone down).  Scoping out the Canada’s in low light proved futile, to far away,  too many…I decided to go to the Super8, get some sleep and return in the morning.

After a solid 12 hours sleep, some breakfast and of course Timmy’s coffee in hand,  I went to the spot and wouldn’t you know it,  not a goose in sight.   At about 8am geese started to fly in from all directions but at the other side of the fields I was watching.  I decided to change locations closer to the landing geese.  I drove about 5 minutes, when I got to the road all the geese were up and flying in the direction of the road I had just come from.   Then they changed direction and came back to the same spot, never really knew what spooked them.  Using my binoculars I checked out, wave after wave,  of Canada Geese flying in.  Then I spotted something different in an incoming flock,  as it got closer, I knew I had the Pink-footed Goose.  Lovely bird, easy to see in Europe but in Canada very rare.

PinkfootedGoose2-1024x688

Another bird for my list…..

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