I don't think that many consider the Ross's geese to be genuine, and personally I don't see it making the British list without a ringing recovery. One of the biggest problems for them is that ~ a quarter of the flock at Pensthorpe are free-flying.
While I agree that Ross's Goose is unlikely to make it onto the British list without a ringing recovery, I feel that more people consider some records of Ross's Goose to be genuine than this post implies.
The first winter for example was widely appreciated and has made it onto a fair few personal lists that I am aware of (my own included). Whether this bird continues to return as an adult I guess nobody can answer for certain but given goose behaviour it has to be a distinct possibility.
Meanwhile, I wonder whether the two that are present together at the moment are the two that turned up in Scotland in October? Unlike the Snow Goose, these weren't tracked along the east coast and there were no reports that I am aware of of two together between the departure from Scotland (Oct) and the arrival of two here (Jan), but I guess there is potential for them to have been on the continent in the meantime before moving to Norfolk.
Finally, is the hybrid Ross's x Pink foot in Norfolk considered to be a wild bird or an escape? If this bird was indeed wild then it suggests overlap in breeding areas of the Pink feet that winter here and Ross's Goose, thereby confirming the potential for Pink feet to act as a carrier species for Ross's Goose.
For those visiting north Norfolk, I'd suggest going to see these birds anyway and making up your own mind whether to tick them or not as we may never know for certain if wild birds do occur here. Personally, I prefer to give reasonable birds (ie fully winged, unringed and wary) the benefit of the doubt!
I'd be interested to hear how many people count Ross's Goose on their personal lists and how many do not.
Chris
), just checking what else I should prioritise . . . I expect I'll look for Buntings at Salthouse, Geese somewhere up in that area, Richard's Shore Larks 
