Barnacle Goose in Northampton County ~ December 5, 2022

Yesterday, on the 4th, Megan Davis found a Barnacle Goose at the Albert Road ponds. A group of birders got to see the bird that afternoon before it flew off to the east. I had a tire with a slow leak in it, so after I got it plugged, I decided to drive up this afternoon and see if it would return.

I got there around 3:00 and checked the main ponds with no luck. I met Ryan Johnson, who had driven a couple hours down from the Poconos to try and see it. Together, we walked up the road to the north pond (which is all private property and can only be viewed from the road) and started searching a group of Canada Geese that were in a field on the hillside just east of the pond. It wasn't long before Bruce saw the Barnacle Goose stick its white head up among the Canadas. We watched the bird for about a half-hour or so before it flew down from the field and into the pond.

Very distant photo of the Barnacle Goose in a field

Barnacle Goose dropping into the north pond

Several birders eventually showed up and we all watched it in the pond in front of the island for a while before it flew off with a few Canada Geese and headed north.

Barnacle Goose

I believe this bird represents the 4th record for Northampton County----one at Green Pond in 1996, one at the Northampton Quarry in 2013, one in Hanover Township in 2017, and now this one.

---