ML392223721

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Continuing bird found earlier by Bryan Hanson, great looks! Medium-sized beautifully patterned gray goose with a distinctive white head and white nape, black chin and throat (dark forward half of the neck), a pink and black bill, orange legs, and a white tail that is missing a left rectrix (seen only in flight). The Emperor was foraging with a mixed flock of a few Mallards and many other geese - mostly Cackling, some Canada, and one Snow goose that the Emperor seemed to favor. The Snow goose generally tolerated the Emperor, but I did observe some slight aggression when the Emperor grazed too close to the grazing Snow goose. When I arrived there was only one birder present, and he soon left so it was just me! I texted a shot of the goose out, and when I looked back up, the EMGO was gone!! After a few anxious minutes with no Emperor, some other birders arrived saying that they had an Emperor goose just down the road - I ran down and indeed the goose had moved a few hundred meters west, into a pumpkin patch. It stayed there a few minutes before flighting in a *very* large circle, initially taking off towards the west, turning right to fly north and then right more to be flying back towards the east. At first I thought I was watching it leave for good, but it turned south and coasted down into the open muddy space where it was originally seen by myself and the original reporter, at the marker of this checklist. I followed the goose, returning to the eastern area, where a little while later I (finally) met Charlie Wright. As a fun addition to this observance, while I was recording digiscope video, a friend called me via FaceTime video. I answered the call, ending my video capture, and I switched the FaceTime call to the rear camera, successfully showing my friend the Emperor goose through digiscoping real-time via FaceTime. What a time to be alive…a solid FaceTime bird :-) Lastly, I also saw the Emperor goose poop. Excellent. Photos are screen grabs from digiscope videos. Lifer bird!! Awesome!

Technical information

Dimensions

940 pixels x 1333 pixels

Original file size

355.83 KB