Ever since I was a kid, I have always enjoyed the game “one of these things is not like the others.” Can you spot the juvenile Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens) in this photo of geese that I observed last Thursday at Occoquan Regional Park?
Generally the only geese that I ever see in my area are Canada Geese (Branta canadensis). They are so numerous that many people consider them to be a nuisance. I have learned from experience that birds intermingle when floating on the water, so I was carefully scanning the flock of Canada Geese when I spotted this anomaly. At first I thought it might be some kind of duck, because it seemed so much smaller than the other birds. After some research and assistance from more experienced birdwatchers, however, I have determined that it is a Snow Goose, a species that I have never photographed before.
The song “One of these things is not like the others” used to pop up regularly on the Sesame Street television program with all kinds of different items. When I looked on YouTube, I came across a delightful video with the song that features with food items and a mitten and dates back to 1969. Click on this link to watch the short video that concludes with the provocative question, “Did you ever try eating a mitten?”
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
That is so cool! I’ve never seen a snow goose!
I believe that snow geese tend to move about in large flocks that you can see at certain locations, but I too had never seen one before this encounter.
My wife immediately said: “That’s Bob,”. 🙂
I suspect that many of us from a certain generation share the same memory. 🙂
Beautiful one Mike
Thanks.