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Ross's Goose in Orange Co., NC



On Saturday, 1 February 2003, Jeff Pippen saw a white goose flying by with a 
flock of Canadas near Mapleview Farm on Dairyland Road in Orange County, NC. 
White geese of any sort are quite rare in Orange County, with fewer than a 
dozen sightings total of Snow Goose, none for Ross's.

On Sunday, 2 February, Derb Carter and I checked out a nearby private pond 
(with permission), and found a hundred or so Canadas sitting on the water 
with this one white goose. With a better look, it turned out to be a Ross's 
Goose, the first one ever for Orange County!

I've just posted digiscoped photos here:

http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/pix/rosssgoose.html

The entire flock flew off shortly after I took the photos - they are quite 
wary. Derb will let us know if he gets permission for others to look at this 
particular pond. There are several other publicly accessible ponds in the 
area that they probably circulate between. 

P.S.  The Mapleview Farm Lapland Longspurs were heard on Saturday, but I 
struck out again on Sunday.

-- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
Box 90340, Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Durham, NC 27708