Blue Skies and Pink-feet - early spring migration at Bempton cliffs

Easily dismissed as the usual resident locals, flocks of grey geese are worth a closer look at this time of year – particularly for Pink-footed Geese, wild wanderers that perfectly encapsulate the wonder of long-distance migration on our doorsteps, writes Mark James Pearson As in most parts of the UK, here in East Yorkshire the default Anser (grey goose species) is the Greylag (above right), a successful feral all-rounder and a familiar sight across town and country. Unnoticed by many, however, are their highly migratory and truly wild relatives, Pink-footed Geese (above left), which arrive during the autumn and begin their northbound spring migrations as early as February. Thus, for the more optimistically inclined among us, northbound movements of Pink-feet constitute one of the first surefire glimmers of spring in what can often be an otherwise quite unforgiving pre-season lull. Much smaller and daintier than their more cumbersome resident cousins, Pink-feet begin to grace the skies above our coastline in mid-September, signalling the subtle changing of the season and ushering in a new phase of the migration calendar. For the rest of the autumn, surges of birds head purposefully south, at almost any altitude – from low over the waves, to almost invisibly high in the clear blue skies which provide ideal conditions for migrating. Many Pink-feet use our coastline as a roadmap for their return journeys to and from more southerly wintering grounds; some, however, often choose to stick around through the darkest months, and this year we've several flocks of wintering birds roving around the local area. In flight, Pink-footed Geese flocks are distinctive in that they're often quite ramshackle and have a tendency to ‘fall apart’, constantly evolving and mutating in shape as they continue their journey. Just as indicative (and often the first sign) of an imminent arrival are their instantly recognisable, wonderfully musical calls – a playful, conversational yelping (in stark contrast to the deep honk of Greylags), and a sound that never fails to turn the head and lift the spirits. Numbering only several hundred thousand birds globally, and with the vast majority – and the entire Greenland and Iceland breeding populations – wintering in the UK, Pink-feet are very much a ‘British’ bird, relying on our shores for their winter sanctuary, and indeed their very survival, year after year. After passing the season in our relatively balmy climes, they reorientate back towards the Arctic, skilfully navigating along the contours of our coast, as they have for countless generations, and hopefully will for many more to come.   Mark James Pearson