Bill's posting from Richmond this past Friday of a pair of Ross's Geese
sent a shiver of excitement through the Skyline Chili teams. Jill and I
made a quick stop out at Middlefork Res. during the only 15 minutes it
snowed hard on Sat and again this morning in the fog and haze.  We did not
find the Ross's (nor the Rough-leg) although there were nearly 2500
Canada's present in the fog this morning.  A small flock of six Cackling
geese were mixed in (although they appeared to stay largely to themselves).
Two swans were sleeping  [I think I caught a brief glimpse of a black bill
although their bodies appeared large and bulky], Herring Gulls were mixed
in with 150+ plus Ring-bills and 6 Common Mergs, 2 Ruddy Ducks, and 3 Black
Ducks were mixed in the 50+ Mallards.  Finding a small white goose in fog
among thousands of geese proved too great of a feat this morning.  For
those that do want to dash over I have enclosed a picture of some Ross's
Geese we had at Acton in March of 2003 and a Snow Goose picture lifted from
the web.  Ross's Geese (like Cacklers) are small, with rounded heads [see
the long sloping 'wedge-shaped' forehead and bill of the Snow], and
frequently with a bluish warty patch at the base of the bill.  Snow geese
lack the bluish patch and have a "grin" patch along the bill. Also compare
the base of the bill, largely straight in Ross's and strongly curved in
Snow.  Middlefork Reservoir is off 27 in Richmond before you get to
70.  There is a small sign pointing to the reservoir off 27 [on right] at
the intersection that has a health food store on the corner {Natures Nook?]
up the hill from the hospital.
If anyone can make it over to East Fork to check on Mike's Long-tailed Duck
I'm interested if it is still present. Bill Wilson has a Red-breasted
Nuthatch coming to his feeder here in Oxford.  For those that haven't seen
Tundra Swans, the 23 birds seen by the class on Friday at Dunlapsville
[Brookville] were still present yesterday.
Dave