Nature and Wildlife Photography
RBAsTaiga Bean-Goose @ Salton Sea




The LAST confirmed sighting of the Taiga Bean-Goose was on Tuesday, December 21st, 2010.


Taiga Bean-Goose (Anser fabalis middendorffii)
(c) 2010 - Christopher Taylor - Nov 10, 2010

Taiga Bean-Goose (Anser fabalis middendorffii)
(c) 2010 - Christopher Taylor - Nov 10, 2010

Taiga Bean-Goose (Anser fabalis middendorffii)
(c) 2010 - Christopher Taylor - Nov 10, 2010

Taiga Bean-Goose (Anser fabalis middendorffii)
(c) 2010 - Christopher Taylor - Nov 10, 2010

Taiga Bean-Goose (Anser fabalis middendorffii)
(c) 2010 - Christopher Taylor - Nov 10, 2010






[10:00AM] November 21st, 2010 by RON HOLLAND: The Bean Goose flew in this morning at 6:30 am and joined the 3 Greater White-fronted Geese on the pond west of Vendel Road. At 7:00 am they flew across the road to the field joining a large flock of Snow Geese.

[10:00AM] November 20th, 2010 by WES FRITZ: The Bean-Goose is showing well at end of Vendel Rd in unit one.

[10:00AM] November 19th, 2010 by PAUL LEHMAN: Yes, the Bean Goose continues at Unit 1 on Friday, seen off-and-on all morning by Dave Compton, Paul Sykes, Larry Peavler, et al. I gather the bird was mostly in the field on the east side of the road, often out of view hidden by all the white geese, but I also heard that the field was being sprayed with something, so that may or may not have an effect on where the geese feed for a while.

[10:00AM] November 18th, 2010 by WES FRITZ: The Bean-Goose is currently at it's normal hang out at Vendel Rd. It arrived this morning just before 6:30am.

[10:00AM] November 17th, 2010 by BOB MILLER: "The" goose was present this morning.

[10:00AM] November 16th, 2010 by PAUL LEHMAN: The Taiga Bean-Goose continues Tuesday morning at Unit 1, as does the blue-morph Ross's Goose, 7 Cackling Geese, 3 Brant, and 3 Greater White-fronted Geese. The Bean Goose started out around 6:23AM all by itself in the field on the east side of the Vendel jog. A bit later it was joined by the White-fronts, and all became rather difficult to see when they had their heads down.

[10:00AM] November 15th, 2010 by PETER SALOMAN: This AM John Mueller and I drove the 5 hours from Tucson to the Salton Sea where we had good views of the BEAN GOOSE at about 10 AM Tucson time. The bird was first seen in the Eastern field after its location had been pointed out to us by Alan Schmierer. It was hanging out with 3 Greater White-fronted Geese and was often not visible, as it was behind weeds, grass, and dirt and only occasionally extended its neck.

[10:45 AM] November 14th, 2010 by NICK AND MARY FREEMAN: Currently looking at Bean Goose now at same field/location in Unit 1. It is hanging with 3 Greater White-fronted Geese again.

[1:30 PM] November 14th, 2010 by HOWARD KING: I just recieved a call from Bob Miller that the Bean Goose is present this morning at Unit One but it's MO has changed. It is not with the White-fronted Geese today.

[1:30 PM] November 12th, 2010 by MARK LEGGETT: At approximately 1:30 pm this afternoon, 11/12/10, the Bean Goose and entourage lit up the sky in a mass of white (and gray). They had been in the field on the east side of Vendel Road, just south of the observation platform. They flew north of the platform to a somewhat marshy looking area, again on the east side of Vendel.

[12:00 PM] November 12th, 2010 by PAUL LEHMAN/OSCAR JOHNSON: I hadn't seen any posts about the Taige Bean-Goose at Unit 1 as of noon Friday, so I thought I'd post that I heard from Oscar Johnson earlier today that the bird was still present early this morning, though in fields on the east side of Vendel Road rather than on the west side--although that will obviously change over the course of the day. He also reports more Cackling Geese present there than yesterday, I beleive something on the order of 7 birds or so.

[4:00 PM] November 11th, 2010 by JEAN BRANDT: Barbara Elliott, Phil Sayre and I found the Bean Goose at 4:00 today (Thursday) in the huge flock of white geese east of the previously noted place. It was with 4 Greater White-fronted Geese in the field on the east side of Vendel Rd. about ½ way from the 2nd bend in the road and before the overlook. Two birders from Arizona joined us and we all had excellent views of this rare bird.

[12:30 PM] November 11th, 2010 by JOHN GREEN: Bean Goose continues, currently in first pond to west after the bend.

[9:46 AM] November 11th, 2010 by IRENE HORIUCHI: Original location. Here now at 9:46.

[7:00 AM] November 11th, 2010 by KATHI ELLSWORTH: Seen by us about 7am. The flock lifted off but we left just then. Don't know where it landed.

[9:30 AM] November 10th, 2010 by CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR: Taiga Bean-Goose is still present at Unit 1 of Salton Sea. For specific directions, see below.

[10:00AM] November 10th, 2010 by BOB MILLER: A suggestion for the morning is to drive down Vendel Road and onto the refuge. The field the birds are feeding in is the second on the left when you enter the refuge. Vendel Road will make a 45 degree left turn and then a 45 turn back to the right.

Directions to Taiga Bean-Goose

Stop at this second bend as that is the corner between the field they are feeding in and the ponds they go to water in. There is a high bank on the right shoulder and it allows you to see a majority of the refuge and it allows you a better view of the geese in the field or in the pond because of the height of the borders.

It is a short walk to view into the second pond. The white geese were mostly in the second pond before sunrise but apparently the Bean and White-fronted were not in the pond with them as they suddenly appeared flying in from somwhere just east of the divide between the pond and the field.

The Bean and White-fronted were the first to land in the far NW corner of the green field and all of the white geese streamed in right behind them. There were several Brant in the first pond as well as several in flight just before sunrise. All roads and areas other than Vendel Road and the nature trail at the end of Vendel are closed to the public in vehicle or on foot.




HOME · ABOUT ME · GALLERY · STOCKLIST · VIDEO · SEARCH · PRESS · CONTACT · BLOG · NEW STUFF
bird photography
All images and video © Copyright 2006-2024 Christopher Taylor, Content and maps by their respective owner. All rights reserved.
nature photography