[mou] Possible Blue Phase Ross's

[Hagsela@aol.com]

This will need confirmation by birders more experienced than I.  I observed, 
at the west end of Lake Byllesby, a blue phase goose.  The size and shape of 
the bill suggested Ross's to me right away (there were Canada Geese by it for 
size comparisons and it was much smaller than the Canada Geese.  What stumped 
me was the fact that the white of the head stopped at the chin and didn't 
extend further down the neck as with the blue phase Snow Goose, for which I 
had a picture.  The goose also sported a dark crown stripe that ran down the 
back of the neck.  I had the sun behind me, and had great views with the 
scope.  Back home as I looked through my various guides, the National 
Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 4th Ed. had a picture 
of exactly what I saw, the blue morph adult Ross's Goose.
Please, check it out.  I've seen blue phase and white phase Snow Geese, and 
just one good study of a Ross's Goose earlier this year.  I will yield to the 
determination of those who have had more extended experience with snow and 
ross's geese than I.

Good birding!
Linda Sparling
Hennepin County