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Ross's Goose near Roanoke Rapids, NC



There appears to be a Ross's Goose at the Garysburg goose ponds       
northeast of Roanoke Rapids, NC.                                      
                                                                      
The bird was seen in failing light today at about 5pm, with Canada    
Geese.  Mallard size, short neck, dusky back of neck and some of back.
 Very white, like a domestic duck, but clearly visible black wingtips.
 Also, gray line from base of beak to eye, as in white juvenile Ross's
shown in Sibley.  No rusty stains.                                    
                                                                      
To get to the ponds, take US 158 east, from Weldon (over Roanoke River
with US 301), to Garysburg.  Go right (east) leaving US 301, toward   
Jackson.  At about 1-2 miles, bear left (45 degrees) on Jackson bypass
(you have a turning lane).  Next left, about 1/2 mile, is Cornwallis  
Road.  The Garysburg goose ponds are immediately on the right.  You   
can hardly see the first, accessed from bypass.  The second pond has  
had a raft of about 3000 Ring-necked Ducks (12:1 ratio male to        
female).  The last pond had 50 Canada Geese and 1 Ross's Goose (along 
with 1 snipe, 1 Killdeer, and a few Ring-necks and Hooded Mergansers).
                                                                      
The geese may be visible from Cornwallis Road (4-car pull-off), from  
the paved road north of the pond, or from the trail on the northeast  
corner of the pond.  There are many small islands in this pond, and   
the Ross's Goose was invisible from the first two vantage points, and 
seen first from the "jeep trail".  Then it moved out of sight with the
other geese, perhaps to get away from us.  And the bird was easily    
visible, in the middle of the pond, from the Cornwallis small         
pull-off.                                                             
                                                                      
Elisa Enders                                                          
eenders@unity.ncsu.edu                                                
student, North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC)