Hi --

Today we went out to try and locate the Cackling Geese which Bob Ringler and
(later) Tom Marko found near Zion Road. We started at the Rt. 108/Zion Rd.
intersection and went north, and just before Zion's intersection with Gregg
Rd., a large horse farm field on the left supported over 2000 Canadas (and
several horses). Actually as we drove up we saw the Cackling Geese at the
very front of the flock, closest to the road (luckily -- it is a very large
field and the birds would have been hard to pick out if in the back of the
flock). We scoped them and took a few photos as well.

There were three of them together (family party?) -- they were not only
noticeably smaller than the Canadas (about 2/3 to 1/2 size depending on
which individual Canada you used for comparison, but also distinctly grayer
in color with wider buffy edgings to the back and scapulars, so you could
pick the backs of the feeding Cacklers from the other geese, even with their
heads down. Necks were proportionately shorter and the bills were short,
although not as tiny and stubby as that of the minima goose at Belle Haven
two years ago. One of the birds appeared to have a fairly distinct white
collar at the base of the black neck.

Afterwards we checked out some other sites but saw nothing of great
interest, nor any other large goose flocks.

Gail Mackiernan and Barry Cooper
Colesville, MD