Reeve's Bogs 12/23

2 Greater White-fronted Geese behind Canada Geese.

Reeve's Bogs in Burlington County is not a spot I often visit--it's farther away than Whitesbog, less accessible, and has more or less the same birds I'd find in more familiar places. But when I saw last night via the email grapevine that 3 Greater White-fronted Geese were in the front bog (which is the only bog I know), I decided to go over there this morning despite the drizzle which had turned to full-on rain by the time I got there. They would be Burlco lifers. There were about 60 Tundra Swans there, as there usually are at this time of year, and lots of honking geese, but in the murky conditions with a cold rain running down my neck, I couldn't find any unusual geese. I was about to pack it in and head over to Whitesbog when a car pulled up behind me and out pops my friend Scott. "Find 'em?" he asked. "Nah, they're not here, lots of Canada Geese...," and before I finished the sentence he said, "There's one." Geez, way to make me feel like a dope.

I looked in his scope and couldn't see the bird. He put the bird in my scope and I still couldn't see the bird. I don't know who gets more frustrated in situations like this--the guy who sees the bird or the guy who doesn't. Finally I saw the pink/orange bill and white facial patch of the goose as it raised its head above the surrounding geese. I also didn't feel so bad when a friend of mine who was walking his dog there, came by and couldn't find the goose immediately in either of our scopes. Eventually, he did, but at least I knew it wasn't just me.

Scott picked out three geese from where we were standing. I only had one (which is all I need), but we decided to walk over on the west side of the bog to get a different, closer angle on the flock of Canada Geese in which the white-fronteds were mixed. I was able to get two of the three geese in one photo. The third one was a little behind the other two and kept ducking down behind a large tuft of reeds. Scott, of course, was able to get all three in one frame.  Geez, way to make me feel incompetent.

Photo: © Scott Fisher