Bean Goose continues, currently in first pond to west after the bend.

John Green
Riverside, CA

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 11, 2010, at 10:18 AM, Bob Miller <bob.miller@...> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Decided to go play again this morning so was at Unit One for sunrise again.
The Bean Goose showed in almost the same fashion as Tuesday morning with about
10 birders present and many more streaming in till I left at about 8:30am. The
wind was hard out of the north and it affected the way most birds behaved all
morning. At about 7:45 the three Greater White-fronted and the Bean all flew out
of the NW corner of the grass field and headed SE... and kept heading SE
prompting audible "uh-oh's" from the group. They did settle back to the ground
though and I had a hunch where they were so we moved south on Vendel Road to the
small crumbling hay stack about 1/4 mile south of the refuge and found the geese
in the field on the east side of the road from the hay stack in poor light. We
viewed them there for about five minutes when they took to the air and returned
to the refuge but this time they joined the majority of white geese in the
extreme SW corner of the barren field which is being irrigated right now. Not a
satisfying look for many just arriving birders as the distance was extreme. I
thought it very unusual for the geese to be in that barren field. Possibly
attempting to gravel? Anyway, the whole flock began to jump up in small groups
and circle SE then north to land in the fields on the east side of Vendel near
the curve. As the flocks went behind the mesquite trees we lost sight of the
Bean et. a. and were not able to relocate them by the time I left. I checked the
outside field on my way out and they were not in that one. I believe the birds
are still present though.
>
> A small white cheeked goose spent most of the morning flying above the flocks
on the ground and was very near the Bean when last seen making for five dark
birds visible on the ground. It was about the size of the Ross's and smaller
than the Snows with no white neck collar. I was calling it a Cackling Goose all
morning but after some research I am not comfrotable with that assumtion so will
have to say that it was a small white cheeked goose and leave it at that.
>
> A small falcon came across the green filed and never presented itself in good
light and I was pretty sure it was a Merlin although it did pull up into the
wind a few times and hang there but it never went into a kitting type flutter
that I would expect in an American Kestrel. When we had moved over to the
mesquite trees we had a Merling flush out and come right over our heads so I
think it was the same bird.
>
> Two Stilt Sandpiper were in the flock of Long-billed Dowitcher in the first
pond.
>
> This was a six goose species morning as there were five or so Brant in the
first pond as well.
>
> A lone Bonaparte's Gull flew right in front of us at eye level by the first
pond.
>
> See ya at the sea..........
>
>