Excellent start to what is now my 6th season (2013 fall; 2014 & fall ; 2015 spring & fall; 2016 spring) getting to know Richardson’s (hutchinsii) Cackling Geese. I tallied my 12, 13, 14 and 15th individual of the season today just south of Richmond, Ont. Heading to Wolfe Island on Thursday and Saturday and would love to tally a 5 (or 6) goose species day while birding there

Photo: Overcast conditions provide an excellent opportunity to study the paler, more scaly (broad pale terminal fringing) upperparts seen on Richardson’s here in southern and eastern Ontario. Mark Gawn of Ottawa first alerted me to this average (not an absolute) characteristic of these geese back in the fall of 2012. I photographed this hutchinsii in with Canada Geese along Century Road W. 15 March 2016.

Good birding.