After one finds some six hundred kinds of birds in the continental United States and Canada, seeing another usually entails some kind of adventure.  On the morning of January 1, 2009, Anne and Chuck found a barnacle goose on the millpond on the south branch of the Raritan River in Califon, New Jersey.  In recent decades one or more birds of this species, probably from Greenland, have appeared somewhere in eastern North America during the late fall of the year.  Barnacle geese typically migrate east and south across the British Isles to reach wintering grounds in southern Europe and northern Africa.  Canada geese from Greenland congregate at the same time to begin their migration southwest across Newfoundland toward points in the Canada Maritime Provinces and United States eastern seaboard.  Apparently a few barnacle geese elect to join flocks of this species and so arrive here. 

Last winter a barnacle goose appeared in Califon, a rural town in central New Jersey, and stayed much of the winter.  In November of 2009 a barnacle goose again appeared among the large flock of Canada geese that roosts in the millpond there.  Someone observed this bird and reported it on the New Jersey bird alert.  Chuck noticed the report as we planned a visit our daughter in New York City in the middle of December.  We plotted a course through Califon as we drove to New York and arrived at mid-day.  We found many Canada geese but no barnacle goose.  This was not too surprising because the reports on the Internet suggested that the bird feeds elsewhere during much of the day.  While disappointing not to find it, we were now acquainted with its roost and planned to return two days later on our return trip to look again.

That day came and we delayed our departure too long.  We arrived at Califon just after five p.m. and well after sunset.  We struggled to see geese in the semi-darkness and glimpsed hundreds, but saw only a fraction of the flock and could not find a goose with a white face.  Frustrated we gave up and went home.  Chuck was mad with himself for letting the opportunity slip away.  We had no more trips to New Jersey planned this winter.

Our plans changed.  We chose to celebrate the New Year with Chuck’s parents and sister in Princeton.  Arriving there in the afternoon of New Year’s Eve we thought of this bird. Chuck checked to find that it had last been reported on Christmas Day.  He suggested a pre-dawn departure.  We wanted to be sure to arrive before the goose went to breakfast.  The forecast called for a breeze and a temperature of 20 degrees F at dawn.  The forecast was correct.  We had not packed our extreme birding clothing and hoped for a view of the bird from the car.  That was not to be.

We slipped out of Chuck’s sister’s condominium at six a.m. and found very light traffic.  Arriving at Califon, we crossed the metal bridge and turned onto the river road.  Some eight hundred geese sat on the mostly frozen millpond.  Many of the geese were sleeping,  seemingly affixed to or at least nested into the ice.  Those that were awake steamily exhaled as they walked and swam amphibiously across the slushy surface.

The barnacle goose is markedly different from Canada goose, but both are grayish with a black neck.  The barnacle goose has a white face.  The Canada goose has a white patch on the throat and back of the face.  The barnacle goose has a black breast, but the breasts of many of the sleeping birds were hidden by their compatriots.  We soon realized that we would have to get out of the car to look for the target bird.  We warmed our hands at the heat vents before venturing forth. 

The dam was at our left.  The pool extended about two hundred yards upstream passing under the highway bridge.  We walked to the dam and started back checking each bird with binoculars.  The active birds were easy to identify.  The sleeping birds were much tougher.  They were covered with frost and most had their heads tucked into their wings.  Arriving back at the car we noticed another birder on the opposite side of the creek.  Cold, we got into the car and turned it on to warm up again.

After a few minutes we resumed our tour.  We crossed the bridge and reached the other birder.  He said that he was a resident of Princeton and that this was his fifth visit in search of the goose.  He had not found it yet. We continued our walk and eventually reached the dam on this opposite side of the millpond before returning again to the car to warm our aching extremities.  The other birder drove up and told us he was going to look for the barnacle goose at some lakes where it had been reported as feeding.  We wished him well. 

After warming a bit, Chuck suggested going upstream of the bridge.  On our last visit we had found a park there and the stream and ball fields had been infested with geese.  So, we drove and parked there.  Anne said she was too cold to go out.  Chuck found another hundred or so geese there, but no barnacle goose.  He did record several “year birds” including eastern bluebird.  This was a pleasant way to start the New Year, but his hands, feet, and face were frigid when he returned to the auto.

There was a bit of discussion.  Chuck suggested stopping at Round Valley Lake before going home.  We would find a several more kinds of birds and perhaps some geese there.  Perhaps even the goose.  Anne agreed, but said she wanted a coffee and bathroom stop along the way.  Chuck agreed.  Pulling out he followed the river back to the bridge.  There he intoned that they should check the millpond one more time.  This time, he said, we would not get out of the car but motor slowly along the River Road.  There was no traffic so this seemed safe.  At every opening we scanned every goose.  Now most of the flock was awake or awakening. 

At one stop Chuck found a goose facing away from us that looked slightly different.  The bird was still resting and its head was stooped forward.  The sides of the head were not visible, but Chuck thought he could see some white in front of the eye at the top of the head.  Anne could not.  Still we stayed.  After a few minutes the bird raised its head and turned slightly.  Chuck saw the white face and Anne the black breast.  We had found our bird.  Chuck, looking up, saw that we were back at the church drive, and he quickly turned the car into a parking space.

Now we exited the car with new warmth.  We walked to the river’s edge.  Hundreds of geese honked and moved across the millpond.  The barnacle goose was active too and displayed its fine form and pattern.  A handsome bird, it now seemed strikingly distinct from its associate Canada geese.  We, standing, watched it for about ten minutes and then a few more after returning to the car and its warmth.  Anne snapped a couple of photographs for the record.  Chuck was ecstatic.  Now he was ready to find her a coffee shop.  The wild goose chase was over.