A Standout in the Crowd

As I walked, my boots sank into the water-clogged grass, feeling a little like quicksand. A blue jay shrieked somewhere. Soon a raptor emerged overhead, barely visible against the late afternoon sun. My eyes fell to the Canada geese covering the field. That’s when I saw it: a flash of white. There was an interloper in the flock.

The goose was mostly white with a black-tipped tail. It ate with ferocity, never lifting its head long enough for me to snap clear photos. At last it paused, perhaps noticing me for the first time. (I kept a safe distance.) Click. Finally!

Uploading the photo to the Merlin Bird ID, I discovered the striking stranger was a Snow goose. Snow geese are known visitors to the New York City area during the late fall and winter, and are similar in appearance to the smaller-sized Ross’ goose.

Clusters of power walkers and joggers raced by, either unaware or uninterested in the sight. But as a beginning birder, spotting this relatively common but new-to-me species sparked a thrill. In birder terms, such sightings are called “lifers.”

I spotted the snow goose twice more before the holidays. Each time it stayed in the center of its adopted flock. Then, somewhere between Christmas and New Year’s, it left. On each visit the last few days, I’ve scanned the icy fields in hopes of a reappearance. But so far, there is no trace.