Good morning,

There are 5 definitely diminutive white-cheeked geese on the pond in my
neighborhood right now.  In my opinion, 4 of them are Richardson's.  They
are quite small, with stubby bills, brighter white edges on their wing
coverts, and "blocky" shaped heads.  The fifth small white cheeked goose
seems to have a different build: slightly larger than a Richardson's with a
stouter neck and a noticeable black stripe on the throat separating the two
white cheek patches.  It's bill is not quite as stubby as the Richardsons',
and it is colder gray on the breast/back.  However, it's head also has a
steep forehead and a "blocky" shape to it. From the reading/studying I've
done in the past, I'm thinking this last one is either the "parvipes" or
"taverneri" subspecies, but I could be totally wrong!  In any case, I think
all the different subspecies of Canada Geese are VERY interesting to study,
and I've really enjoyed having a pond right across the street that is
frequented by large numbers of geese to allow me to study live "specimens"
of different subspecies.  I owe Bill Whan some thanks for teaching me the
basics about white-cheeked geese and showing me a number of preserved
specimens at the OSU Museum of Biological Diversity, where he works.  At the
very least, I've gotten a lot better at picking out the "giants," the
"non-giants but too big for Cacklings" (which I am calling "Lesser"), and
the true Cackling Geese, which are usually Richardson's.  My wife is out of
town with our digital camera, so I can't take any pictures today--sorry!

Also on the pond are the usual "Giant" Canada Geese (probably about 100) and
some "Lesser" Canada Geese (hard to say, but maybe around 1-2 dozen).

This pond is at the intersection of Crystalpond Rd. and Spindler Rd in
Hilliard, just across the street from the soccer fields on Spindler.

Take care!

Nate Nye
Hilliard

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