Birders flock to Kentucky to see rare pink-footed goose

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Birders from as far away as Wisconsin travelled to central Kentucky last week in the hopes of seeing a rare pink-footed goose.

The waterfowl led them on a wild goose chase, but eventually the birders got their reward, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

The pink-footed goose is a relatively small and short-necked bird with a dark-brown head and neck, pink legs and a small black bill with a pink band, according to eBird. It is usually found in Greenland, Iceland and northwestern Europe, but is also an occasional visitor to northeastern North America, usually with flocks of Canada geese.

However, it had never been spotted in Kentucky before November, when there was a sighting in Shelby County. The goose wasn’t seen again until just before Christmas, when it was spotted swimming in a pond at Ramsey Farm in Nicholasville.

On Dec. 20, birdwatchers from Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina converged on the farm after they were given permission to visit. The goose, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Just as they were about to give up, Central Kentucky Audubon Society board member Ronan O’Carra received a call from a fellow member that the goose had been spotted in a small neighborhood off Harrodsburg Road. The caravan of about 20 birdwatchers made their way to the new location where they took turns looking at the rare goose.

“It’s probably one of the rarest ones we’ve had,” O’Carra told the Herald-Leader. “Everyone here, if they see something rare, it goes out to all of the birders around and they’ll go out flocking to it and chase after it so they can add it to their state list.”

Gangsta Boo, a former member of Three 6 Mafia, dies at 43

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gangsta Boo, a Southern rapper who was a former member of the hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, has died. She was 43.

Lola “Gangsta Boo’’ Mitchell was found dead Sunday in Memphis, Tennessee, her hometown. The cause of death has not been released.

“The Mitchell family would like to thank everyone for their condolences regarding the untimely death of Lola ‘Gangsta Boo’ Mitchell,” said the rapper’s mother Veronica Mitchell and family in a statement issued Monday. “The family is asking for your continued prayers and privacy as we process the loss of our loved one.”

The rapper launched her career at age of 14 when she was noticed by DJ Paul, a founding member of Three 6 Mafia. By 15, she joined the rap collective, which included notable members DJ Paul, Juicy J, Crunchy Black and Lord Infamous.

Gangsta Boo gained instant notoriety with her shoot-from-the-hip, rapid-fire rap flow on Three 6 Mafia’s 1995 debut album “Mystic Stylez,” which became a cult classic. She appeared on five more of the group’s albums, including “Chapter 2: World Domination” and the platinum-selling “When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1.”

In 1998, she branched out with her debut solo album “Enquiring Minds.” The album was highlighted by “Where Dem Dollas At,” featuring Juicy J and DJ Paul.

After Three 6 Mafia released “Choices: The Album” in 2001, she left the group to focus on her solo career. She dropped her sophomore album, “Both Worlds (asterisk)69,” which reached No. 29 on the Billboard 200 chart. Her third album, “Enquiring Minds II: The Soap Opera,” was released in 2003.