Ross' Goose @ LEMP - 23 Mar 2024

Shout-out to Tom Gass for finding a Ross' Goose at Lake Erie Metropark just before noon today. His message on Discord indicated that the bird was near the tip of Cove Point at the south end of the park. Robin and I were out the door a few minutes later.

We arrived at LEMP at about 12:30 pm and drove to the south end of the park. Canada Geese were foraging in the grass along the road but we couldn't see any small white geese among them. I drove to the end of the parking lot and turned around to make another circuit when I spotted Brian Beauchene a bit north of our position in one of the picnic areas and I suspected (correctly) that he was on the Ross' Goose.

We pulled up and I grabbed the scope and headed over to his position. About 60' away at the edge of the walking trail was the Ross' Goose feeding in a shallow ditch so only its head was visible. Just as I reached. Brian a passing walker flushed the goose into the air where it circled the parking lot several times. My camera was in the car...

I ran back to the car, grabbed the Sony a1 and 600/4 and managed to get a few pics of it flying southwest toward the marsh where it settled down next to a pair of Canada Geese.

Me, Brian and Josiah (Stryd?) headed to the edge of the marsh where Josiah saw the Ross' Goose swimming with the two Canada Geese. 

I managed to get a few digiscoped images of the small white goose next to the larger brown geese before they swam behind a patch of cattails along the far shore. Luckily, they stayed only a few minutes before swimming back into the open. 

I spent some time digiscoping the Ross' Goose from the near shoreline as they swam to our right. After several minutes all three birds suddenly flushed and headed north along the marsh. I managed to have the 600/4 on the goose at that point and was able to get it during takeoff!

The birds disappeared to the north and we headed back to our cars.

As we were leaving Cove Point the Ross' Goose was seen just south of the bridge feeding in the grass to our left. I was able to get some images from inside the car as it walked by.

We left it be and headed home!

Great bird. Thanks Tom, and Brian!

Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne, Michigan, US
Mar 23, 2024 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
0.2 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Brian Beauchene, Josiah Stryd and me
3 species

Ross's Goose (Anser rossii)  1     Found by Tom Gass before noon today. Refound by Brian Beauchene by bike path before flying into marsh where it was swimming next to a pair of Canada Geese. Small white goose w/ black primaries, short stubby pink / gray bill w/ small grin patch. Photos and blog post at: https://birdingthroughglass.blogspot.com/2024/03/ross-goose-lemp-23-mar-2024.html
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  18
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S165755100

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)