Canada geese

[Jackaroo]

Spotted this strangely marked Canada Goose on the loch and wondered if it was an incomplete moult or some form of hybridisation or something altogether different? If they're juvenile markings,isn't it unusual to have just one among a flock of about 30ish?
Incidentally noticed a lot of splashing and chucking up of water and wondered what the purpose of this might be?













Jackaroo.

[bigdave60dog]

Your Goose looks a bit pale but is still a Canada Goose.
From your photos the splashing looks to be geese washing themselves -yeah, I know they spend all day in the water but they still need to have wash occasionally. Their feathers are so watertight that they need to splash water onto the parts that don`t get wet in ordinary daily activities to clean these and wash away parasites etc. It always amazes me that Eiders spend close to 100% of their time in the sea yet even on bitter cold windy days will be seen splashing about getting water where one would think they don`t want it. I reckon that this activity also alerts other eiders to the whereabouts of the splasher as well. For all I know it may be a status thing with the biggest splasher being the hardest birds "You don`t mess with an eider that splashes like that"
Dave

[Jackaroo]

Thanks Dave, I thought it might be something like that. Incidentally I've just had the best laff of the day over at the Crow attacking windows thread. Thanks for that also

Cheers, Jackaroo.