From about 1- 2.30 pm (off and on), I visited the area where Laura Catterton
saw these birds earlier today, having been put on to them by Fran Bass.
When I arrived, the Greater White-fronted Goose (Greenland race) was not
apparent, but later emerged over a rise, feeding with the flock of Canadas.
After an obligatory lunch break (I was with my 6 yr old granddaughter), I was
told that the White-fronted had just taken off with 2 of the Canadas, but was
thought to have landed behind the farm buildings, but still within the
overall flock. (See further below.)
The Trumpeter Swan remained hidden against the near bank of the dam
throughout my pre-lunch period, and immediately after we returned. I asked
the others watching whether anyone had approached the farmer to see if we
could use his garden as a better vantage point. As no-one had, I just did
that, receiving a very positive welcome - the farmer had no idea that he had
such a bird on his property and encouraged us to look around. From that
position, one could just see the swan, quite obviously an immature Trumpeter,
even without binoculars. The swan then moved towards us, up on to the shore
to the point where its whole body was out of the water, but with legs
remaining submerged. The following were the key points noted:
1. the majority of the body was a light grey, as though in moult from
darker grey to white. When the bird stretched up to preen, it appeared that
the lower breast and belly were already pure white, as were the underwings
for the most part (though that could possibly just have been an effect of the
strong sunlight).
2. the bill was large, the culmen appearing straight and in line with the
slope of the head. At first, the bill looked all dark (no yellow at all), but
with perhaps a tinge of darkish red-mauve. As the bird moved its bill and the
sunlight caught it, the mauvish color was more apparent and covered the whole
bill except for a solid black portion at the base and a darker bit at the
tip.
3. as the bird preened, at one point it lifted its right leg completely
out of the water, and later on the left leg. The color seemed to be quite
dark, but did not appear completely black. Both legs were unbanded.
As we left the area, I could scan the flock of Canadas behind the farm
buildings - but there was no sign of the Greater White-fronted Goose.
Stephen Eccles
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