The Tundra Bean Goose

 

  The Saturday before MLK day I was on my way to the Cape to see if we could find the rare hawk around Monomoy. As we were nearing the exit for I-195 0ff of I-495 Joe Koger a great birder (and great former school teacher) reported seeing a Bean Goose. I'm not going to lie, I'd never heard of a Bean Goose. So I knew it was rare. We jumped on 195 and then Route 24 and were at Portsmouth High School within twenty minutes. 

   The only other birders there were Joe and Louise Ruggeri. It wasn't hard to see the goose at all. They pointed me in the direction of where it was in the flock. The bright orange legs gave it away. 

   It turned out that there are three species in the Bean Goose family. One is the Pink Footed Goose which is a pretty rare visitor to Rhode Island. I've seen three of them in my years birding. The other two are Tundra Bean Goose and Taiga Bean Goose. As I was looking at this goose there was a big debate on whether it was a Tundra or a Taiga. Honestly, it blew me away that people were talking about the differences in the two species instead of driving to see this very rare bird. 

   It turns out that it is a Tundra Bean Goose and it was the first one ever reported in New England. Way to go Joe! The Saturday Joe reported it, ninety birders did see it. We left before the circus arrived. We watched it for twenty minutes. When we left about ten people were there and it was going to get crowded.

    It is still around and people are driving from as far away as New Jersey and I know one couple flew in from Florida. It has a pattern. It sleeps at Lawton Reservoir at night so people can view it there in the wee hours of the morning. Then it flies to fields to feed. It usually ends up at Portsmouth High School in the afternoon. Birders are not allowed on school grounds during school hours. So they can check the goose flock on weekends or after school gets out. 

  There is a Northern Lapwing around which is a great bird. I saw it the day after it was reported at Scarborough Beach. From there it was seen in Jamestown. Then it moved to New Bedford and has been wintering there for the last couple weeks. Between the Lapwing and the Bean Goose, there are two really great birds in the area!