| During a traditional goose survey near Lake Durankulak, at the Northern Part of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast on the 13th of February 2009, 10:30 h, we made a short stop at the main road E-87, not far from the Branta Birding Lodge, after we sighted a group of 400 Greater White-fronted Geese foraging at a cereal field. The weather was cold and sunny (c. +1 °C) Suddenly Ivaylo Ivanov observed a goose that differed from the Greater White-fronted Geese. Subsequently the bird was also observed by Anna Staneva, Viktor Vasilev, Valentin Katrandjiev and Pavel Simeonov, at a distance of about 150 meters, with the sun in the back and by means of Telescopes “Swarovski” ATS 80 HD 20×60 and AT 80, 20×60. We took the time to observe the bird (about one hour) and recorded that the size was comparable to the Greater White-fronted geese, but that the legs were pink, the neck shorter, the wings and the back cinereous or light-grey, the bill rather short and dark with a light-coloured transverse blur. All observers agreed that without any doubt they observed an adult Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) and just a few minutes later only a number of meters from the first one a second bird of this new species for Bulgaria was observed.Pavel SIMEONOV Branta-Tours info@branta-tours.com |