[mou] Geese

[Pastor Al Schirmacher]

Bob & MOU listers,

As I think back over the last 2-3 years birding heavily in Sherburne & Mille 
Lacs Counties (4-5 times per week, but this includes trail walks), have only 
had five Cackling Geese (one in early January along the Mississippi River, 
two October, two early to mid-November).  So my first guess would be that 
these counties are not generally within the migration pattern.

Other options certainly exist - small Lessers being ID'd as Cackling 
elsewhere (suggesting that the migrating population in the state is less 
than we believe) - or the converse (numerous Cackling being dismissed as 
Lessers in central MN) - or, as you speculate, they move out before 
mid-November.

I look forward to others' thoughts.

Al Schirmacher
Princeton, MN
Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties


----- Original Message ----- 
From: RBJanssen@aol.com
To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 6:35 PM
Subject: [mou] Geese


Today I sorted through 1000's of Canada Geese in numerous locations in 
Sherburne and Mille Lacs counties.  I could not find a single Cackling Goose 
in any of these groups.  This is most interesting as we are trying to learn 
the migratory pattern of Cackling Geese in Minnesota. In previous weeks and 
in late October it was relatively easy to find Cackling Geese in many 
locations were there were large numbers of Canada Geese.  Is this a possible 
indication that Cackling Geese are gone from the state by early to 
mid-November or was it just a local situation that I ran into today?  Your 
thoughts, comments and observations on the migration of Cackling Geese would 
be most interesting.

Bob Janssen