ML61553521

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

Photo taken on 25 September 2000. Courtesy of Al Sinclair

Observation details

Original observers: Mark Peck, Colin Jones. First record for Muskoka. Source: OBRC Rare Bird Reports submitted by Colin Jones, Burke Korol, Doug Tozer; Al Sinclair pers. comm. 2012. On 24 September 2000 around noon, Mark Peck found a definitive basic Ross’s Goose at the Deerhurst Highlands Golf Course. It was near the green on the sixth hole associating with several Canada Geese. Later that same afternoon, around 2:00 p.m., Colin D. Jones independently found the same bird. In his rare bird report submitted to the OBRC, Jones noted that the goose was substantially smaller than the Canada Geese it was associating with, being approximately half the height. He observed the bird from approximately 3 metres, and he noted that it was white except for black primaries. It had black eyes, pink legs, and a pink bill with bluish-grey colour over the basal half. It had a small triangular bill that met the face in a straight, vertical line and there was no black ‘grinning’ patch. These last three features distinguished the bird from the similar looking Snow Goose, which has a larger bill, feathering that extends into the bill area, and distinct black ‘lips’ that give it an obvious black ‘grinning’ patch. Jones returned on 25 September and obtained video footage. At this point the bird was reported to local birders. Al Sinclair obtained several diagnostic photographs of the bird on 25 September, and it was also seen by Burke Korol the same day. In his rare bird report submitted to the OBRC, Korol estimated that the bird was about 45 cm tall and he noted that it was actively feeding on grass. The bird was seen again at the same location on 28 September by Doug Tozer. He saw it with a flock of 50+ Canada Geese, and both the Ross’s Goose and the Canada Geese were disturbed by a person and a dog and flew off. Tozer later refound the bird at the nearby Grandview Golf Course. He, too, noted that it was actively feeding on fairway grass. It was last seen at the Grandview Golf Course by Burke Korol on 2 October. From 1991 to 1998 there were 20 accepted records in Ontario (Dobos 1999; OBRC 2014). The Muskoka bird was the 26th accepted record of this species for Ontario and was one of at least 8 Ross’s Geese observed in Ontario in the fall of 2000 alone, the others being 2 adults observed near Thunder Bay 18 – 26 September, 4 birds west of Thunder Bay 7 October, and 1 immature in Ottawa on 9 October (Bain 2001).

Technical information

Model

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS

ISO

1600

Focal length

9.1 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/8.0

Shutter speed

0.1 sec

Dimensions

4000 pixels x 3000 pixels

Original file size

2.23 MB