I was by myself around 10:00 when a single goose flew south along Fallinge Edge at a considerable distance. At a first glance I though it was a Greylag but took a couple of record photos and noted the white head leaving me perplexed. Ken, Simon, Mick and Alan had also seen the bird but at even greater distance.
Looking at the photos more closely, which I've merged on to a single photo below it certainly looks like a blue phase Snow Goose.
The Snow Goose is generally regarded as an escapee in Derbyshire but still an interesting record. There is a record of a feral bird at Wyver Lane, Belper on 1st October and it would be interesting to know if that was a blue phase bird.
![]() |
| Snow Goose? |
