VT/NH - Barnacle and Greater White-fronted Geese

Apologies for the lack of blog posts lately. A crashed laptop and a week's family vacation in Phoenix have certainly affected my ability to post, but news of both Barnacle and Greater White-fronted Geese just up the road saw me heading straight into southern Vermont this morning. Both birds were found by Dave Johnston on Sunday and by some great stroke of luck I ran into Dave during my search for the geese this morning. Had it not been for Dave's guidance and local knowledge, I would have certainly missed them. The geese had found a cozy, well protected spot on the CT River, east of a large cornfield off Stebbins Road, and were roosting around a small island. Conditions were not easy, scoping down onto the river through trees but it wasn't too long before we picked out both birds and then had an enjoyable time tracking them up and down the river. Dave tells me, technically, that all the geese (c. 500 or so) were on the New Hampshire side of the state line. Plenty of Mallards and Black Ducks were also present, along with some Hooded Mergansers, 1 Common Merganser and a number of Common Goldeneyes. Also, four Turkey Vultures in the fields and several fly-over Horned Larks.


Gracious thanks to Dave for taking me to this 'sweet spot' for geese - I doubt if I would have found it without him.


JPS

 

Barnacle Goose - Connecticut River, Vernon/Hinsdale, VT/NH, March 6th, 2012. 

Barnacle Goose - Connecticut River, Vernon/Hinsdale, VT/NH, March 6th, 2012.

Greater White-fronted Goose - Connecticut River, Vernon/Hinsdale, VT/NH, March 6th, 2012. Bright orange bill, strongly indicating the Greenland form (A. a. flavirostris) along with narrow fringes to the upperparts and a noticeably narrow white line along the flanks.