Ross' Geese Essex County 3/22

I was heading up to Maine to visit friends, last Sunday 3/22, and birded Ipswich, West Newbury and Plum Island, hoping to see either the Ipswich or the West Newbury Ross' Geese. Upon arriving the Ipswich locale (at 11:30 AM), Aguila Road, birders said the geese were tucked behind a knoll and out of sight. Birders said there was "white geese" in the mix but they seemed uncertain if the Ross' were present.

While driving around the bend in the road for another vantage point, the geese took flight. I was able to quickly park and get on the birds, seeing several "white" geese mixed in with ~120 Canadas. The seven small Ross' Geese were indeed present in the mix, but kept heading east and dropped out of sight....hardly a quality look!

I arrived at the West Newbury location just before 1PM and no geese were present in the fields (Kimball Farm), just up hill from the Rock's Village Bridge. However, several hundred Canadas were on the Merrimac River and low and behold the two Ross' Geese were with them and very close to the road!!
A digi-bin shot
Through the scope

A close up

In the field one bird appeared a bit larger than the other and also had a bit longer billed.

Whats this...a double-mint comercial!

A brief visit to "The Bird Watcher's Supply and Gift", were I bought a few books, and was told there was a single Ross' Goose at Cross Farm Hill on Plum Island....my next stop. A few distant digi-scope shots of that bird are below:

The Ross' right behind the Canada.

Missed getting the whole bill of the Snow Goose to the left, but even with this poor photo and bill and head structure is quite evident.

Some stuff from Maine will be posted in a day or two and a digi-scope of a hybrid Green-winged Teal from Bolton Flats.