ML646497414

Observation details

Insane. Fourth or fifth DC record. A few minutes after 1500 Dan Rauch relayed that an Anacostia River keeper saw a "small stocky white goose" with Canada geese at Kingman Lake. Vanessa and I were about to head out to a holiday party when we decided to go in the opposite direction to Kingman to check the report at around 1600. A quick scan of Kingman showed nearly no Canada Geese (but nice to run into Kerry Snyder on a Horned Grebe!) but even as we hustled back to the car we could see large skeins of geese (all Canada) flying up and down the Anacostia. We got in the car to head out of DC, rounded RFK stadium, and as we prepared to cross the East Capitol St. Bridge I said to Vanessa "make sure you check for geese over the river!" As I said that, we drove up past a grass median here (38.889832992995046, -76.96940051972106) and noticed a small Canada Goose flock and I clocked that there was a white goose mixed in. We drove across the bridge, did another five minute detour to turn around, got back to the median, and sure enough there was a Snow Goose-type bird which appeared smaller than the nearby CANG. Running out of time, I double-parked on a mostly-unused exit ramp (haha, whoops), snapped a few pictures, then drove off. About ten minutes later I realized it was a Ross's Goose! Brief description: like a miniature snow goose but a cleaner white, and a rounder, cuter face with petite bill. Photos. For Kyle, DC bird #223 and DC year bird #213.