Ansers on a postcard

High tide at lunchtime, and quickly running out of residents and winter regulars to call on to boost my Inverkeithing list. Sparrowhawk should be along at some point but you can't rely on them. Pinkies, where are you? "Exotic" grebes and divers should become more likely but it's a bit early. I know they're out there but this far up the Forth you're hoping more than knowing. I thought that this could be the first site visit with no new birds recorded. Until, scanning the river (very high tide) for something out of the ordinary I did indeed find something you don't see every day in Inverkeithing ...

heavily lightened to reveal tonal contrast/coloration

heavily lightened to reveal tonal contrast/coloration

OK, so ....

(1) it's an Anser, from its bill alone we have either a Bean or Pink-footed Goose - dark with a small bright patch at the distal end (although not AT the end, obviously - I like the description "cigar band" from Duivendijk's "Advanced Bird ID Guide"). In the scope it was much easier to make out the patch, although who could call pink/orange at that distance at x25? Having said that, the contrast at that distance is more likely with orange than pink.

Next ...

(2) Of the three candidates we have a goose which has a fairly chunky and short neck and lacks the swan-like schnozzle of fabalis fabalis. It's not a Taiga Bean Goose. It's either a Tundra Bean Goose or a plain old PF Goose.

What else is there ...

(3) Even from this distance the the white stripe along the side is very contrasty. Furthermore it lacks the paleness and cold coloration of upperparts, and (not visible from the photos here) when I saw it flap once it revealed neither of the aforementioned features. Please note that the bottom two crops have been heavily lightened in an attempt to reveal coloration and cold/warm tones.

I think I'm inclined to say that this is a Tundra Bean Goose, Anser fabalis rossicus.

I would welcome dissenting voices and argumentation (although this is an overstatement, clearly)