To look for one bird in a flock of thousands is like trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. When I arrive at Milavec Reservoir in Frederick, about 100 miles north of Colorado Springs, on this early January day and am greeted by the resounding calls of countless Canada and Cackling Geese, I know that my chances of finding my hoped-for goose are slim. Ever since the report a few weeks ago of the first-ever Colorado appearance of a Pink-footed Goose, which typically breeds in Greenland and Iceland, and overwinters in Northern Europe, a great buzz has energized the regional birding community. Occasional sightings in Canada or the East Coast have occurred, but this species’ presence in our state is sensational.
I am not the only one with binoculars on this frosty morning—two fellow bird enthusiasts are scanning the lake with their optics, and I make their acquaintance. Joe, who has already seen the bird twice, has brought his brother, Steve, to show him this rarity. As on so many previous occasions, I benefit from the heart-warming kindness of strangers, because Joe’s subsequent discovery of the goose allows me a brief glimpse—just long enough to capture two photographs—before I lose it in the ceaseless ebb and flow of myriad geese. I clearly notice its short beak, responsible for its scientific name, Anser brachyrhynchos (Anser is Latin for goose, and brachyrhynchos is Greek for short-billed). Interestingly, the German common name, “Kurzschnabelgans,” reflects the short beak, whereas the English focuses on another prominent feature, the birds’ feet, described by Joe as “bubble-gum pink.”
To enlarge a photo, click on it. To read its caption, hover cursor over it.
Alas, I never see the goose’s legs, but I do not mind terribly, especially when I realize that other seekers, who arrive a little later, do not get to observe any part of the bird. I indulge in the enjoyment of other geese, whose visits to Colorado are limited to wintertime.
This Pink-footed Goose makes my birding heart beat happily, and even though it is far off-course, reminds me of the amazing miracle of bird migration that spans our one-of-a-kind globe, of the interconnectedness of all living beings, and of the desperate need to get our act together, so that our fellow creatures may continue their age-old movements across continents, which have inspired humans since the dawn of consciousness.
How lovely you could get a view (and great photos) of this Pink-footed goose, Tanja! Very happy for you, and it is wonderful to hear there are still kind-hearted folks out there.
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Thank you, Takami. Some of the nicest people I have met are birders!
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I’m amazed at so many different kinds of geese!
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They are amazing, Liz, and I love all of them. They brighten up the short, dark winter days, until the return of our spring and summer migrants.
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It’s such a thrill to pick out rarities like this, as you can imagine I have done it several times. In the case of geese we search for the odd Canada or cackling or snow among tens of thousand of pink-feet! (at least they stand out more).
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It was thrilling indeed. If you ever need your Canada or Cackling Goose fix, come on over! 😊
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Canada’s we have a plenty on park lakes etc (feral) Cackling is a rarity and quite a pretty little goose, I’ve seen just one.
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You may not have thought about it, but Latin anser is etymologically the same word as German Gans and English goose. The fact that Latin lost the initial consonant obscures the relationship. Also related to those words is gannet. Ducky, isn’t it?
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Very ducky, Steve, or should I say anserine? 😊
Thank you for keeping me on my linguistic toes.
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I’d considered slipping in the word anserine. Maybe my decision not to was asinine.
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Whatever it was, Steve, asinine does not describe you, nor the asses who were underestimated and maligned by being turned into such a pejorative adjective.
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so beautiful photos!
have a nice day 🙂
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Thank you so much.
Best wishes back,
Tanja
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I can imagine your joy!
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I can imagine that you can imagine, Christa. 😊
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Das glaube ich dir gerne, liebe Tanja.
Ich sah sie das erste Mal auf der Insel Helgoland, die Kurzschnabelgänse.
Deine Gänseschar ist überwältigend.
Aufgeregt wie du wäre ich, wenn ich das erste Mal eine Schneegans sehen würde.
Es gibt eine kleine Kolonie in Deutschland, nur ist sie für mich viel zu weit weg.
Ich freue mich mit dir und schicke dir liebe Grüße
Brigitte
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Es war wirklich eine wunderbare Erfahrung, liebe Brigitte, und die Gänse, die uns im Winter besuchen, trösten etwas über den Verlust der Zugvögel hinweg.
Ich hoffe, daß es Dir irgendwann möglich sein wird, die Schneeganskolonie in Deutschland zu besuchen. 😊
Sei herzlich gegrüßt,
Tanja
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tolle fotos! habe ich noch nie gesehen, so viele vögel auf einen haufen. 🙂
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Vielen Dank. Es war eine ganz besondere Erfahrung. 🙂
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Glorious photos!!
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Thank you, Cathy, I am glad you liked them.
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Hello!
Why did the pink footed geese end up in Colorado, do you think? Did they get lost? Blown off course?
I like the looks of the snow goose.
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Your guess is as good as mine, Neil. It might have been caught in a storm, and drifted off course. Or it decided to check out the Rocky Mountains at last. 🙂
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Wow – look at those pics! 🙂 Looks like the snow goose found some company at least!
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Very good company, indeed, M.B. 🙂
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What a spectacular sight (anyway) – rare goose or not.
What a treat to see such a rare bird in your area. I can well imagine how hard it would be to spot it among the myriad geese in your images.
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It made made my day, my week, and my month, Vicki, and I am so grateful for the help in finding it.
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What amazing pictures!
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I am glad you enjoyed them, Diane. Thank you!
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Yes, I love it when I see one that is not supposed to be in the flock. I remember a Whooper Swan that would come back year after year to the refuge in Southern Oregon. He was supposed to be up in Siberia but he didn’t get the message. So fun to see them! Thanks for the post!
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Lucky you, Valerie. I am not sure I have ever seen a Whooper Swan-what a beauty. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
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I just hope that you took a good count of birds! Just kidding Tanja…
You had all the geese that I know! What a great event. 🙂
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Of course I tallied every single goose, H.J. I counted 7898 birds. No, wait, I think it was 7899! 😊
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Wow!
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That’s a whole lot of birds, and a rare sight indeed!
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It was a lovely experience to see and hear all these beautiful birds, Candice.
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Boah, das ist ja mal ein Vogelschwarm! Unglaublich!
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…wenn es mir langweilig wird, kann ich mir ja das Photo mal genauer anschauen, und mit Zählen beginnen…😊
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Da musst du aber gaaaanz viel Langeweile haben 🙂
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Wow so many birds! And beautiful surroundings and weather once again. How lucky that you got a glimpse of the pink-footed goose, Tanja. The acquaintance you made must have been quite sharp with his locating skills. Quite a journey from Greenland and Iceland they must have made!
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If felt and still feel very lucky, Pooja. The distances some birds travel boggle the mind. Bird migration is one of the great marvels of this earth, and we are so fortunate to learn more and more about it.
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I would like to see it with my own eyes one day! I am sure it’s a spectacle like no other.
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Wunderschöne Aufnahmen und Motive, sehr spannend und aufregend!
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Das freut mich sehr. Vielen lieben Dank!
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So viele Vögel! Das erste Foto ist sehr beeindruckend und eine Schneegans habe ich bei uns noch nicht gesehen. Da wäre ich auch total begeistert gewesen
LG Andrea
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Es war sehr beeindruckend, liebe Andrea, und ich denke noch immer gerne an den Tag zurück.
Herzlichen Dank, und liebe Grüße,
Tanja
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Awesome sighting and captures, Tanja, what a thrill to see the Pink-footed Goose! I’ve not seen one ever so I am jealous….. 😉 I have met up with some nice people over the years who have pointed me in the direction of a rarity. I, too, try to pass on to someone else who has arrived close to me in a location on a sighting I’m watching. We can help each other see some beautiful birds! 😊
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I think your chances of seeing a Pink-footed Goose at the East Coast are probably higher than one in the Rocky Mountains, Donna, so you might still get the opportunity.
It is humbling to experience the helpfulness and assistance of complete strangers, who want nothing more than to share their enjoyment of nature. I haven’t met too many birders who don’t live up to that ideal.
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Hi Tanja. Canadian Geese are now everywhere. I wonder why? There was a time that squirrels, coyotes, skunks etc never roamed. urban areas. Now nearly every creature is everywhere.
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I think that wild spaces are disappearing, so a lot of animals have no choice but to invade urban areas. 😦
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You have stated it clearly. And the invasion is what we deserve for our destroying many of their habitats .
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I wouldn’t say that. I feel blessed to be able to observe a variety of animals in our neighborhoods, but I don’t think we deserve to be surrounded by these beauties when we destroy their natural habitat. It is our gain, and their loss.
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On my goodness! This is incredible! I am used to just seeing Canada geese, and not in groups like thatl
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I wouldn’t mind if heaven were like this! 😊
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I love the different “stripes” of colours and patterns in the second photo. And wow! So many geese! And you got some great photos of the Pink-footed goose! Vibrant colours and crisp details! And the hybrid is so cool! I’ve never seen a Greater White-fronted goose up close but I have seen some large flocks migrate through Edmonton. I love zooming in with my camera, recognizing the unusual birds and feeling excited about a glimpse (though blurry) of exotic migrating birds! 🙂
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Not only did I find the Pink-footed Goose spectacular, Myriam, the setting was incredibly pleasing, too, looking at the Rockies from out on the plains. And I love to look at and photograph waterfowl because they are often so accommodating. If they are rare or exotic, even better. 🙂
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Really cool that you were able to see the Pink-footed Goose. And so among such a cluster of birds. Fun images both of the flock and of the individual geese.
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It WAS cool, Otto, but I had help. 🙂
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[…] January’s excursion to seek out the Pink-footed Goose, a rare European visitor in North America, I also beheld a handful of Snow Geese, mixed in with […]
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Wow! I love these photos! We rarely see geese on the ground here. But we do get to see quite a few in flight and that’s a wonderful view of them too.
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I love them either way, Diane, but to get a close-up view, and possible photo, is always a special treat. 🙂
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Stunning! The only geese I’ve seen around Ann Arbor, MI is the Canada Goose.
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Thank you, Nirmala. I hope you enjoy the geese you do see in Ann Arbor. I really enjoy having them around in winter, find them very attractive, and their behavior interesting to observe.
Since I have never birded in Michigan, I don’t know about other geese there, but I imagine that you could find other species, too. If you are ever interested in birding, the local chapters of the Audubon Society offer field trips for anyone interested.
Happy springtime to you,
Tanja
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Amazing, the number of geese! Have never seen that before myself. Interessant auch, dass so viele verschiedene Arten zusammen sind.
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It really was an amazing experience, my first time ever of seeing so many gathered in one location. Since then, I have seen even more snow geese in one spot, which I described in the following post.
Thank you for your comment. I tried to check out your blog but was told that it no longer exists. 😦
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