That's a very interesting observation and valuable
correlation with the literature. However, we should
probably keep in mind that this individual has already
demonstrated that behaviorally it's a little odd.
Maybe he's always had a hard time keeping up with
others of his own species too, and that's why he missed
Asia.

Patrick McNulty
Santa Barbara, CA

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Bob Miller" <bob.miller@...>
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 4:12 PM
To: <CALBIRDS@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [CALBIRDS] BEAN GOOSE Imperial County

> Hi all,
>
> An observation that may well have no importance at
> all but really struck me about this goose. On several
> visits I noticed a behavior that stood out between
> the Bean-Goose and the Greater White-fronteds and
> commented on it several times afterword. The GRWF
> were always on the move and seemed to be in a hurry
> to get somewhere as they grazed across the new grass
> field on the west side of Vendel Road. The Bean-Goose
> however was always falling behind as if wanting to
> stop and graze then having to hustle to catch up
> again only to have them keep walking away as it
> stopped again. On the first day when Al Kalin and I
> were watching the birds near sunset, the entire flock
> of white geese and these birds all went up together
> and landed in the other corner only to have these
> four birds come marching out of the pack and head
> across the field as if they had to be somewhere and
> the Bean-Goose was having trouble keeping up. The
> entire flock moved once more as the sun set only this
> time when the GRWF
> took off on their march the Bean-Goose held its
> ground right where it landed. It was then that I was
> able to get the only decent photo I had. As the sun
> set the three GRWF were maybe four borders away on
> the other side of the white geese and still truckin
> while the Bean-Goose seemed quite happy to be feeding
> where it was!
>
> In my internet search for information, which is
> turning up little that helps, I ran across a
> statement that jumped out at me!! In an article
> tittled "Bean Goose : taxonomy, identification and
> status in France" I could only read a summary of the
> article but the following statement is part of that
> summary! "[rossicus] is more diurnal, more active,
> drinks and bathes more and walks faster than
> [fabalis]"
>
> Not an ID clincher in this case but interesting to me
> none the less.
>
>