The TUNDRA BEAN GOOSE continues to strut its stuff at the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge a full three weeks after being discovered there Sunday, November 9, 2014 by resident volunteer Lee Sliman.  

When I arrived at the refuge yesterday morning around 8:00 am, I found several people already there looking through scopes trying to stay on the target bird with Lee's help. The goose was way out in the middle of the field and strongly backlighted by the bright morning sun. Not long afterward the flock flushed. Thankfully, the goose was relocated near the entrance to the refuge about 30 minutes later and was then much closer but still displaying a shadowy appearance - oh well.  

Possibly the single-most photographed bird in Oregon (five images):

FOR THE UNINITIATED

If the Oregon Bird Records Committee accepts this record, it will be the first for Oregon and only the second record of this species in the lower 48 states, which would be a very big deal. It normally winters in northern Asia and Europe, so one of the first questions about this bird was its provenance. And since captive-reared waterfowl are required to be permanently marked as such, often by removal of the right hind toe (or hallux), this bird's right foot received a lot of attention. It was a coincidence that some of my best pictures turned out to be those that showed the bird with its right foot presented for inspection.  

Lee Sliman sent a tally of visitors to the USFW a few days after this post. In her summary, Lee estimated that a thousand people have (so far) traveled to the refuge to view the goose. Interesting points-of-origin for some of the visitors include: Nayrit, Mexico; Vancouver, BC; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Nebraska; Illinois; New York; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; California; and "Hardcore Listers - 3 in a party from Colorado"!

A FEW IMAGES OF THE REFUGE

Entrance to the refuge:

The field where the goose eventually settled for the day:

Can you pick the rare goose out of the small flock below - just kidding!

The parking lot and main viewing area:

If you go - don't miss the views from the top of the Pacific View Trail:

Pacific City in the distance (center right) - I recommend the Pelican Brew Pub for lunch!

INTERACTIVE MAP

REFERENCES CITED

Swick, Nate. "#ABArare - Tundra Bean-Goose - Oregon." ABA Blog. American Birding Association, 12 Nov. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.

House, Kelly. "Wayward Eurasian Goose Makes Rare Appearance on Oregon Coast, Prompting Crush of Tourists." OregonLive.com. The Oregonian, 14 Nov. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.