[bristol-birds] possible Ross's X Snow hybrid

From: Wallace Coffey <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: 1-A Bristol-Birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2002 20:29:16 -0400
Bristol Area Birders:

The good goose is still at Middlebrook Lake in Bristol, TN.

Larry McDaniel and I went there about 3:15 p.m. and 
found it and studied it for a good while. 

If you find that this "Ross's Goose" has a distinct  "grin patch"
where the uppper and lower mandible (bills) come together,
then you are not alone!  Larry and I observed that at a distance
of 100 feet or less.  The grin patch is distinctive in a Snow 
Goose and is a an important ID feature.

According to National Audubon Society "The Sibley Guide 
to Birds" page 79 (drawings of the heads of the geese in
a box down the right side of the page),  this could be the
grin patch you would see in a Ross's X Lesser Snow Goose
hybrid.

We called Rick Knight and he arrived in 50 minutes to look at
it again.  We needed help.  Rick believes it "may have some
Snow Goose" in its parentage.

This is a Ross's Goose!  

        1.  smaller bill than Snow. Stubby
        2.  distinguised by bill shape and the blue color
             at the base.
        3.  short neck.
        4.  No "rust" color stain on the head. Very white.
 
It may, however, be a Ross's X Lesser Snow but it leans so
much to a Ross's that it should probably be counted that way
on your life list if you are comfortable with a possible hybrid
on your list.

This bird is not a Lesser Snow Goose.

Generally the Ross's should not show  the grin patch.
The birds we saw a few years ago in Russell County did not
(as I recall) have the grin patch.

Directions:  Middlebrook Lake is located in the Middlebrook
subdivision off East Cedar Street in East Bristol, Tennessee.
This is between King College and the Bristol Country Club.
It is about four blocks behind Village Square market and
You might find the bird by driving in through the entrance of
Middlebrook (tempting but not the best) but you should 
actually go in the Redstone Subdivision lower entrance,
take first street to the right, and follow it until you drive out on
the dam.  It is the smaller white goose with the Canada Geese
and has black at the end of the wings (primaries).

The location to look from can be seen on the following website
where the red X appears on the map when it is fully loaded.
You may also select the different ratios in the upper left corner
for a larger scale or smaller scale map.  It opens at 1:25,000
but can be enlarged to 1:200,000 or something like that:  If
you are coming from Abingdon drive down Old Jonesboro
Rd.  (the 1:25,000 scale of the map has route numbers to help 
you).

http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=17&n=4049862&e=398404&s=25

Enjoy.

Wallace Coffey
Bristol

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[bristol-birds] possible Ross's X Snow hybrid

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