Words On Birds 01-24-25

     One of the early Massachusetts birders to see make the trek to see the bird was our friend, Andrea Bean. She felt the dire need to see this “namesake” bird and she was successful in chasing it down. She also offered to monitor the New York Rare Bird Alerts for us if we went, to let us know the bird’s up-to-the-minute location as it became known. 

 

     Soon thereafter, the Taiga Bean Goose started to be seen on the Batten Kill River east of Greenwich, rather than in random corn fields, so we decided to make the drive. With Andrea’s reports guiding our way we headed out one morning for another “wild goose” chase.

 

     Andrea’s recommendation was to take the Mass Turnpike all the way out to Albany and head north, then east of Troy. In retrospect, that would have been an “easier” way to go.  Instead, we decided on the scenic route out Route 2 and through the Green Mountains of Vermont to Greenwich. 

 

     The last time we went through the Green Mountains of Vermont was when I led a trip for the Brookline Bird Club to Montreal to see the Ross’ Gull. That route took us through the mountains on a four-lane highway, but the road to Greenwich was two lanes and, although scenic, it was a bit longer as we kept getting “stuck” behind trailer trucks making their way through the mountains. Still, we arrived in the area in under five hours.

 

     Andrea texted us a map of the area with a timely pin on the exact location of the Bean Goose on the river. We drove east out of Greenwich along Route 29 which paralleled the river. As we approached the area of the goose, the river came close to the road and we could see a flock of Canada geese on the water. 

 

     As we slowed down, we saw a familiar car parked next to the road. It was another birding friend, Andy Sanford who said that he knew that we were coming and he wanted to “stand guard” on the Bean Goose for us! Now that is “old school” birding – the way we like it! “Old school” birding is when someone is on a rare bird, and they stay on the bird for the next birders to come along and see the bird, keeping “tabs” on the bird for others to see. Thank you, Andy!

 

     Andy was parked in the last spot before the road narrowed and he pointed a few hundred feet further to where another small flock of Canada geese were sitting on the river.  “It is in the next flock of geese.” he said.

 

     There were few cars travelling the road, so we drove slowly along the edge of the road to the next flock of geese. Margo lowered her window and the Taiga Bean Goose was right there! We didn’t even have to get out of the car. This was one of the easiest “drive-up” life birds we have seen! Our car was actually a “blind” that we could use while Margo got some awesome close-up photos of this first visitor to the eastern United States! Well worth the long drive. Thank you Andrea, thank you Andy, for helping us make another successful “wild goose” chase!

 

     The story may not end here. The Bean Goose, an Eurasian bird that was rarely sited in Alaska and northwest North America, had two subspecies – The Taiga Bean Goose and the Tundra Bean Goose. A few years back, it was determined that these two were actually separate species, despite only subtle differences in appearance. Now, a Tundra Bean Goose has shown up in a flock of Canada geese in Rhode Island. Do we see another “wild goose” chase in our future?