General Chat

I saw a bird today which I can't identify and I wondered if any of you could help.

It was slightly smaller than a canada goose and mainly grey/black in colour apart from a white area around the eye (looked vaguely like an eye patch) It had a white rear undercarriage and yellowy orange legs. I couldn't get into the right position to see if its feet were webbed. It was on a canal bank in Ware, Hertfordshire. It wasn't perturbed by the canada geese which were also on the bank.

Any ideas?

http://www.ornithologiki.gr/en/oiwnos/i2/ennanox.htm
is it this one ??

No afraid it isn't. It was much darker in colour with the white eye mask. I wish my Dad was still around, he was a keen bird watcher and he'd have known.

As a child I spent many hours gazing at trees while he told me which bird he could see, I could never spot them but would just nod and say I could!

hi janet,

is the one on here;
http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/dumgal/MiniWeb.aspx?id=205&menuid=4686&openid=4686&pageid=6777



kaz. xxx

Soundslike a Barnacle Goose Janet,they have white patches aroung eyes,although they don't have orange legs,
Mebbe a Greylag?

Barnacle goose?

A close relative of

Barnacle Bill the sailor, lol

I just looked there, unfortunately its anothewr negative. I've looked at all the geese on wiki and its none of them. I hope its there tomorrow cos I could take a photo and send it to the RSPB.

Thank you both for replying.

I've just done a search on Google images and it sounds like pics coming up of hybrid geese.

Try putting hybrid goose in Google images and see what you think.

Sue
x

janet,

Ringed Plover, heres a pic;

http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/website/content/view/264/102/

kaz xxxx

OK I've now checked out the greylag and Barnacle with google images. I don't think it had as much white as the Barnacle and the Greylag is definately not it. I wish I'd made a note of its beak colour. Its legs were more deep yellow than orange. Must remember my camera tomorrow.

Thanks to you all.

Did you try hybrid goose Janet?

Sue
x

Looking in my bird book it could be an adult Ring-tailed Plover,but they've not got a complete 'white eye patch' just underneath eye (if that helps at all)

I think it probably is some sort of hybrid. I think I won't be working my way through all 103000 images though.

Its not a ringed plover its bigger than that.

I think I'll give up for now.

Thanks.