Pink-Footed Goose at Martin Mere WWT Near Burscough in West Lancashire, England - October 2013
One of the most enjoyable sign and more so a spectacle of a British winter is the arrival of Pink-Footed Geese and their wanderings across the country. The birds can often be heard before they are sign with their squealy honks and then they come into view, a large V, sometimes numbering in excess of a thousand. If you go to nature reserves such as Martin Mere, Marshside and the Ribble estuary near Southport you will see at times in excess of 30,000 geese. Their numbers will help you forget the brisk winter day and appreciate the darkest and coldest of seasons.
www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/p/pinkfootedgoose...
The pink-footed goose is a medium-sized goose, smaller than a mute swan but bigger than a mallard. It is pinkish grey with a dark head and neck, a pink bill and pink feet and legs. This species does not breed in the UK, but large numbers of birds spend the winter here, arriving from their breeding grounds in Spitsbergen, Iceland and Greenland. Numbers in England are on the increase, particularly in Norfolk, probably due to better protection at winter roosts.
Overview
Latin name
Anser brachyrhynchus
Family
Swans, ducks and geese (Anatidae)
Where to see them
Large estuaries, such as on the east Scottish coast, The Wash, the Ribble and the Solway, or on surrounding farmland where birds go in the day to feed.
When to see them
They arrive in the UK in October and depart in April.
What they eat
Grain, winter cereals, potatoes and grass.
UK Population
Wintering:- 360,000 birds
Pink-Footed Goose at Martin Mere WWT Near Burscough in West Lancashire, England - October 2013
One of the most enjoyable sign and more so a spectacle of a British winter is the arrival of Pink-Footed Geese and their wanderings across the country. The birds can often be heard before they are sign with their squealy honks and then they come into view, a large V, sometimes numbering in excess of a thousand. If you go to nature reserves such as Martin Mere, Marshside and the Ribble estuary near Southport you will see at times in excess of 30,000 geese. Their numbers will help you forget the brisk winter day and appreciate the darkest and coldest of seasons.
www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/p/pinkfootedgoose...
The pink-footed goose is a medium-sized goose, smaller than a mute swan but bigger than a mallard. It is pinkish grey with a dark head and neck, a pink bill and pink feet and legs. This species does not breed in the UK, but large numbers of birds spend the winter here, arriving from their breeding grounds in Spitsbergen, Iceland and Greenland. Numbers in England are on the increase, particularly in Norfolk, probably due to better protection at winter roosts.
Overview
Latin name
Anser brachyrhynchus
Family
Swans, ducks and geese (Anatidae)
Where to see them
Large estuaries, such as on the east Scottish coast, The Wash, the Ribble and the Solway, or on surrounding farmland where birds go in the day to feed.
When to see them
They arrive in the UK in October and depart in April.
What they eat
Grain, winter cereals, potatoes and grass.
UK Population
Wintering:- 360,000 birds