Hi everyone
Been up at Gruinard Bay in North West Scotland, when about 30 Brent Geese landed, they were pretty jumpy as I tried to get close to take a photograph as they all took flight again, but came back to the same spot about 30 minutes later. This is the first time I have ever seen these Geese, are they a rare sighting?
Hi Mary, Brent Geese are generally winter visitors and, according to my books, usually in Ireland or south east England, so your sighting would seem a bit unusual!
Gill
Hi Mary, according to the RSPB some 95000 Brent Geese spend the winter in the UK. It seems that most of the white-bellied race head for Ireland although apparently some do go to Lindisfarne in Northumberland. The dark-bellied race go mainly to the estuaries around the east and south-east coasts of England.
As far as I know they don't winter in Scotland so I suspect the birds you saw were on passage to Ireland and had just dropped in for a feed en-route.
Gill P said: Hi Mary, Brent Geese are generally winter visitors and, according to my books, usually in Ireland or south east England, so your sighting would seem a bit unusual! Crossed post with Robbo. Gill
Crossed post with Robbo.
Thank You too Gill for your reply.
Unknown said: Hi Mary, according to the RSPB some 95000 Brent Geese spend the winter in the UK. It seems that most of the white-bellied race head for Ireland although apparently some do go to Lindisfarne in Northumberland. The dark-bellied race go mainly to the estuaries around the east and south-east coasts of England. As far as I know they don't winter in Scotland so I suspect the birds you saw were on passage to Ireland and had just dropped in for a feed en-route.
TeeJay - it seems I was lucky enough to see these geese on their way to Ireland.
Also seen a flock of around 40 of these birds (can watch them from the window of the caravan) before anyone accuses me of stalking them :-). Now I know what these birds are but when I looked at my photograph (I know not really sharp or clear photograph) I could hardly recognise them.
Here is a quiz for you to see who identifies them first.
MaryGK said:Here is a quiz for you to see who identifies them first.
That just depends who's online at the time!
36 Common Redshank, 10 Dunlin, and a single Black-tailed Godwit.
Just in case anyone's not sure which is which, the Dunlins are the little ones and the Black-tailed Godwit's the bigger one with white wing bars rather than white trailing edges and a square white rump rather than a white wedge up the back. I've indicated the Black-tailed Godwit with a red arrow, and one of the Dunlins with a green one.
Wow - geese on bicycles must definitely be a rare sight!