[Birdtalk] Out and about in western Salt Lake County - Cackling Geese

[STEPHEN T CARLILE]

Tried this afternoon to find the Greater White-fronted Goose at Raging Waters and Glendale Golf Course.  No luck, but did visit Parkway Business Park located at Parkway Blvd. (2650 S.)/Bangerter Highway.  Also visited Decker Lake.  Saw 29 species, with the highlight being five Cackling Geese along the Parkway canal and two at Decker Lake.  All very close and lengthy observations, with great comparisons to the Canada Geese.

Though I have not had any real experience with Cackling subspecies, I will take a crack at it.  One at Parkway was very small and dark, with a creamy (not white) cheek patch; B. h. minima, "Cackling"?.  One of the others had the "white neck ring" mentioned in the guides common to B. h. leucopariea, "Aleutian", sometimes present the other subspecies; B. h. hutchinsii, "Richardson's".  The "white neck ring" bird was about two thirds the size of the Canada Geese.  The others were Cackling, but who knows where they fit or if I am right about the others.  Any comments or observations would be appreciated.

Also, had an interesting chat with a Parkway security guard (scared me to death when he came from behind) on how he used to "catch" Canada Geese with a treble hook.  It takes all kinds.

The full list:

Pied-billed Grebe - 3
Canada Goose - 100+
Cackling Goose - 7
Mallard - 24+
Green-winged Teal - 3
Northern Shoveler - 50+
Gadwall - 12+
Northern Pintail - 3
Common Goldeneye - 9
Redhead - 1
Common Merganser - 11
Great Blue Heron - 1
California Gull - 100+
Ring-billed Gull - 12+
Herring Gull - 2
Bald Eagle - 1 (immature)
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
American Kestrel - 1
American Coot - 12+
Greater Yellowlegs - 1
Lesser Yellowlegs - 1
Killdeer - 2
Rock Piegon - 12+
Mourning Dove - 5
Downy Woodpecker - 1
American Robin - 2
Starling - 50+
Brewer's Blackbird - 5
Black-billed Magpie - 3
Common Raven - 1

Now to find time to try for the Varied Thrush at AI.  Wish I had know about it when I was up there on Tuesday.

Thanks,

Stephen
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