[birdky] Birders travel to KY to spot rare pink-footed goose | Lex H-L article

From: "Ce Ci" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> ("thefarsidefarm")
To: BirdKY <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2022 23:57:01 +0000 (UTC)

Great article w/two lovely picts online at today's Lexington Herald-Leader
(link follows text, picts follow link) -

Know Your Kentucky
Birdwatchers from across US flock to Central Kentucky after rare species
spotted
By Meredith HowardDec. 27, 2022

Birders from Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin made their way to
Central Kentucky last week to try to add a rare bird to their spotting
repertoire – a pink-footed goose, which is usually found in Greenland, Iceland
and northwest Europe. The pink-footed goose was spotted in Shelby County in
November, the first known sighting of the species in the commonwealth. It then
disappeared and arrived at Ramsey Farm in Nicholasville, and staff allowed
birdwatchers to visit the property Dec. 20 in search of the goose. Hope seemed
all but lost when about 20 birdwatchers arrived at the farm to search for the
pink-footed goose, which had been seen in a pond onsite. The bird had moved on
from the pond, and it was unclear how far it may have traveled.

Just as people started to head back to their cars, Central Kentucky Audubon
Society board member Ronan O’Carra received a call from a fellow CKAS member
that the pink-footed goose had been seen in a small neighborhood off
Harrodsburg Road. A caravan of birdwatchers made their way to the neighborhood,
taking turns looking at the rare goose with bright pink legs. O’Carra told the
Herald-Leader the group spoke with some neighborhood residents and showed them
pictures of the bird, which was in someone’s yard.

Kentucky birdwatchers have added several new species to the commonwealth’s list
recently, and it’s not unheard of for birds to get caught up in hurricanes and
end up far away from their typical habitats. But the pink-footed goose sticks
out as a species not commonly seen in lower parts of the U.S. caption (pict
below) pinkfootedgoose1.jpg The pink-footed goose was spotted in central
Kentucky the week of Dec. 21. Kyle Bixler/Central Kentucky Audubon Society
“It’s probably one of the rarest ones we’ve had,” O’Carra said.

Word spread quickly when the pink-footed goose visited Shelby County and then
Jessamine County. “Everyone here, if they see something rare, it goes out to
all of the birders around and they’ll go out flocking to it and chase after it
so they can add it to their state list,” O’Carra said. O’Carra told the
Herald-Leader in a Dec. 22 email the goose had returned to Ramsey Farm.

The pink-footed goose is a relatively small and short-necked bird with a
dark-brown head and neck, pink legs and a small black bill with a pink band,
according to eBird. The species is a “rare but increasing winter visitor” to
northeastern North America, usually with flocks of Canada geese. The Central
Kentucky Audubon Society holds bird walks in Lexington and across the area, and
everyone from beginners to seasoned experts can join. CKAS is a member of the
National Audubon Society, which offers $20 yearly memberships. Do you have a
question about wildlife in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like
to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email
ask@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Meredith Howard is a service journalist with the Belleville News-Democrat. She
is a Baylor University graduate and has previously freelanced with the Illinois
Times and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
https://www.kentucky.com/news/know-your-kentucky/article270360767.html

[birdky] Birders travel to KY to spot rare pink-footed goose | Lex H-L article

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