The frigid weather continues to draw interesting waterfowl into our area. It is worthwhile spending a little time along the bike path along the Hocking River in Athens and scanning through the hundreds of Canada Geese. Yesterday (Feb 17) we stopped by the football stadium and found a single small white goose with black wing tips grazing with Canada Geese just below the bike path (downstream of Richland Avenue bridge). The light started to get poor, but the bird was approachable enough to get decent pictures:

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S21950913

After consulting Sibley’s, Stokes, and allaboutbirds.org, I concluded that it was not a Snow Goose, but the smaller Ross’s Goose! Another life bird, and again a local one! Think global, bird local! 

My family agreed to wait another ten minutes in the warm van while I was checking the river below the rapids across Whites Mill, where various ducks had been reported yesterday. Several Redheads and a single female Canvasback were still there, and both Hooded and Red-breasted Mergansers were back.  Scanning through another large group of 300+ Canada Geese showed that the two Greater White-fronted Geese reported recently are still around (as is the all-white domestic Graylag Goose and an all-white domestic Swan Goose). Try to get out there! 

Happy birding,

Stefan Gleissberg
Athens, Ohio 
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