3 Pink-footed Geese in Maine

Thornhurst Farm, is a very, very large farm

On Saturday we went to see the 3 Pink-footed Geese, very rare birds, at Thornhurst Farm, North Yarmouth, Maine. The Pink-footed Goose breeds in eastern Greenland and there are only a small number of records of it showing up from eastern PA to Newfoundland. A Pink-footed Goose was found by Derek Lovitch at Thornhurst Farm on Oct. 1st, a first state record for Maine. Then 3 Pink-footed Geese were found on Oct. 14th at the same place. This may be the first time 3 of them have been seen together in N. America.


When we got there, other birders were looking at them and they were far away. We did see them but they then moved. We went to another vantage point. "The geese are down in a ditch behind the black cow", we were told.

We then went back to another place and, "now one of them is in front of the brown cow we were told." (that really is one, with its head down.) We never got close enough to get any good photos. Through the scope they were extremely distant and there was lots of wind and heat distortion, so excuse this really bad photo.

Some photographers, who were there at other times, had much better luck and closer views and got way, way better photos than I did. To see their photos,
click here
and here,
and here.
The Pink-footed Geese were still being seen as of this morning. For updates go here.