Re: Ross's Goose at Grand River, Brantford

[Bill Lamond]

I should mention that it is about a 250 m walk to where the bird was sleeping once you get down into the floodplain.

I have noticed in the past that you can often tell where these geese come from when they show up out of the blue in the dead of winter by looking at eBird maps. But I cannot see where any juvenile bird has been seen recently in the area surrounding Hamilton/Brantford.

Bill

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From: Bill Lamond <bill-...@hotmail.com>
Sent: January 29, 2026 10:28 AM
To: hamilton birds <hamilt...@googlegroups.com>; HSA Nature Notes <hsa-natu...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Ross's Goose at Grand River, Brantford

 

Hi,

There is a Ross's Goose at the Grand River in Brantford. It appears to be a juvenile bird as there is some duskiness in the nape and around the eye. It is currently sleeping with about 25 Canada Geese on a small ice island in the river. Best accessed from the Waterworks Park parking lot/bus barns/Rotary Bike Park off of Grand River Ave. Walk up to the dike and over the dike into the floodplain. Follow the trail upriver until the trail is right on top of the river and the goose was at this spot.

Yesterday Elliott Holtvluwer saw this bird further upriver at Indian Dam (ruins) and tentatively identified it as a Snow Goose but his distant photos were not conclusive.

Bill

[Bill Lamond]