Date: 1/20/25 11:25 am From: Derek Lecy via groups.io <dlecy...> Subject: [northbaybirds] White Geese at Las Gallinas
Dear Birders,
There have been 10 white geese (Snow/Ross's) at the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Ponds for a number of weeks now. The small group of white geese is associating with an impressive number (some estimates are well over 1,000) of Cackling Geese, primarily in the fields to the north of the ponds and occasionally at the east terminus of the property, near the solar panel arrays.
A number of birders are submitting these birds as Snow Geese, probably owing to the fact that Snow tend to be the more frequent and abundant of the two species at this location. However, a closer look clearly shows there are a number of Ross's Geese in with the flock. A few keen observers have gone to study the white geese with scopes and have determined, to the best of their ability given the distance, that there are in fact four Ross's Geese (including some lighter/dusky juveniles), five Snow Geese (all well marked juveniles), and one intermediate individual that should probably be left as Snow/Ross's Goose if using eBird.
So, if you are heading out to enjoy the weather and birds at Las Gallinas, it would be great if you could please check your observations of these birds and only mark down the bird(s) to species that you are sure of, as there is absolutely no harm in submitting some or all of this group as Snow/Ross's. Thanks!