Two mysteries for the price of one today.
Sunday, we took a short walk in our local park in the Southern Tier of New York State after lunch. You never know what to expect from a walk in the park.
It's even more unusual for my spouse to ask for my help but he wants very much to identify a white bird we saw. His guides don't seem to match up this bird with wild white geese.
Canada Geese are frequent visitors to this park but today, a white goose joined them.
I took some quick pictures, because someone was heading to us in the opposite direction and I suspected the geese would fly away (which they did).
Unfortunately I couldn't get a good closeup. It had an orange beak and faint black markings on its wings. It was about the same size as the Canada geese. We were thinking, perhaps, that it was a domesticated goose but are not sure. It seems to have too much dark on it.
From the back, you can see orange legs.
Here it is preparing for takeoff. It's on the right; the bird on the left is a Canada Goose. You can see the black on its wings.
They flew to nearby water but when the flock flew away to a different location, the white goose didn't join them.
Years ago, we owned a pair of Pilgrim Geese but I am not that knowledgeable of domestic breeds. Spouse does not think this is a snow goose (and I'm not sure you would find them here this time of year, anyway).
Any guesses?
If you aren't into birds here's a wildflower I am also trying to figure out. I've never seen it bloom in this park before. The flowers have no fragrance. I know it is a type of rubus from the leaves and the thorns.
Another photo.
The closest I can get is Pennsylvania blackberry. This is closeup of the flowers. For my spouse, this brought back a lot of memories (he's thinking it's a blackberry) of picking blackberries when we lived in rural Arkansas. Somehow, though, I don't remember the flowers. Memory can be selective.
Thank you, readers, for whatever help you can provide.
Some more flowers tomorrow.
...with each passing day my memory can become guessable.
ReplyDeleteI hear you.
DeleteWish I could help. I’m curious about the white bird, too
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there's any such thing as an albino Canadian Goose. Either way, there's something to be said for the acceptance of him/her by the other Canadian Geese.
ReplyDeleteKaren, we thought possibly a leucistic goose, which is a genetic change causing partial lack of pigment in a bird.But some other commenters gave me good information so we're thinking not. Yes, isn't it wonderful that geese don't discriminate on the basis of color, isn't it.
DeleteYour flower looks like the blackberries that grow wild around here, so I'm guessing that's what it is. As for the bird, my best guess would be a white phase Snow Goose. It may be a bit out of range but the thing is birds fly and sometimes to unexpected places.
ReplyDeleteWe're agreeing blackberry - thank you. We are definitely not in the summer range of snow geese, but, as you said, birds can and do surprise us! I wish our local Wild Birds Unlimited hadn't closed - they would have known about other sightings.
DeleteDefinitely blackberry. Is the goose a mutation? https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.650013/full
ReplyDeleteYow. It definitely looks like a domestic goose to me. The kind we used to have patrolling our barnyards in Southern Alberta. The flower? I'm stumped!
ReplyDeleteThank you for attempting to solve the mystery, Diane!
DeleteGoogle Lens calls the blackberry a "Common" blackberry or "Allegheny" blackberry, Rubus allegheniensis. I just have the invasive Himalayan blackberry, which isn't even from Himalaya!
ReplyDeleteThe goose? Again, Google Lens says it is indeed a snow goose. In fact, it came up with several photos of a single snow goose hanging around a flock of Canada geese. I use that app on my phone several times a day! There have been times it can't find anything, but when it does, I've never had it wrong.
In today's journey review, the original post was about a lone goose in the sky. I felt sad for that goose.
ReplyDeleteCanada geese are quite social, and I feel sad, too, when I see a lone goose. I always wonder about the story behind that lone goose.
DeleteLoving the photos!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThe views are very soothing.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI do love the last photo of the geese you shared and the white flowers are beautiful.
ReplyDelete-Soma
Thank you, Soma.
DeleteMy only guess would be an albino, too, but I highly doubt that's correct. I'm sure you already consulted the Audubon Society's guide.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liz. Yes, we consulted several bird guides and the Merlin app before posting.
DeleteI don't know anything about the goose, but the flowers look identical to the wild blackberries rambling all over my rock garden! The few berries I can get before the birds do are quite delicious!
ReplyDelete