Corine's Millpond 1/3--Greater White-fronted Goose

Winter is rare goose season. Get 'em while you can is the philosophy espoused by my buddy Bob Auster. There's a Pink-footed Goose up near him in Somerset County, but life is not allowing me to get up that way right now, so when I got an alert this morning about a Greater White-fronted Goose in Allentown, which is only about 30 minutes from here, I was hoping that it would stay long enough for me to get up there after I was done with some chores. Interestingly, this bird was found by none other than my friend Scott, who pointed me toward the last GWFG a couple of weeks ago in December. Ah, those halcyon days of December when it was warm enough to rain!  The thermometer hasn't been above the freezing mark since.

Corine's Millpond is right on Main Street in Allentown. In the winter it usually full of waterfowl and is always a good place to check if you're in the area. My only Cackling Goose last year was at the pond. A good portion of the pond was iced over, not that it mattered to the thousands of Canada & Snow Geese that were honking up a storm. Altogether, there were probably close to 3000 geese on the pond--finding the one I wanted was going to be a challenge. Happily, another birder I know was there.  I started on the left and scanned each group of geese (making note of the few Ring-necked Ducks mixed in). I'd only gotten about a quarter of the way through the flocks when she came down to the deck I was standing on and pointed out the area where the GWFG was standing. Standing is good--it give you another field mark to search for. It took a moment to find it; the orange legs were the first giveaway and then it turned it's head and I saw the pinkish bill and the eponymous "white-front." Always good to see the white on the face--otherwise you wonder if all you're really looking at is a domestic Graylag Goose.

We looked, in a desultory manner, for a Cackling Goose or a Ross's Goose, but they don't stand out the way a Greater White-fronted does. Someone more methodical than me might actually have found one.

So, another rarity out of the way, although I'll still chase should one show up in my home county.