Wild Geese!!!

Love 'em. I know many birders who ain't into Wildfowl. I've heard the comment "it's only a duck" many times.

My time in the Lower Derwent Valley has made me a great admirer of our webbed feet friends. Tough birds indeed, capable of some truly amazing feats.

This particular fact conveys this better than I ever could...

Perhaps the most impressive altitude record is that of a flock of Whooper Swans which was seen on radar arriving over Northern Ireland on migration and was visually identified by an airline pilot at 29,000 feet.

Impressive...no AMAZING stuff!

Over the years I've been privileged to see some pretty impressive congregations of Ducks, Geese and Swans in the Valley. I've mentioned on more than one occasion my respect and relief in the fact that the Whoopers return each year.

The Pintails are always a joy amongst other smart ducks. 

The true spirit of winter though comes in the form of the Wild Geese for me. Now I'm "over here" I'm lucky to have the Brents (never taken for granted) just down the road, sometimes, like this year containing the smart Black Brant...

Call of the Wild

This Autumn I've managed to catch a few skeins of Pinkfeet heading south...always a fine sight...and sound.

So. where's this all leading I hear you cry?

Yesterday morning I sprung into action when the Pager informed me of a Great White Egret at Skeffling. A fine local sighting it would be. It could also be combined with the obligatory dog walk. I arrived and headed south-east towards Sammy's Point. I've previously mentioned the flooded farm fields and they contained distant geese. I picked out 3 Little Egrets but no sign of the Big 1...yet.

There was a Great White Swan however...

As I approached the Geese I could see a small group of Greylags close to the Bank...

A scan further back revealed the surprising sight of 3 Barnacles...

...and 10 Pinkfeet...

Still no sign of the GWE. I decided to try west of the car park but still no sign. I then heard the sound of Geese...it was the birds I'd just been looking at...and they were heading towards me...

Barnacles with Pinkfeet...mmmm

They then turned over the Humber and headed back to the flooded field...

I gave it till 12 then headed for Spurn and lunch. My radio had died so I didn't get any info on "what's about". After giving Bud a swim in the sea I decided to return for another go. It could be hiding in a ditch...maybe?

I could see the a large Brent flock towards Sammy's so I headed down...maybe the Black Brant was with them? As I approached I noticed a lady dog walker approaching from Sammy's with a red coat on! The Geese are usually pretty tolerant as they are used to people walking the bank but I wanted to try and get there before her to have a look through just in case they spooked. It was also getting late in the day.

I positioned myself behind some bushes and started to scan through the flock. The first bird I saw stuck out like a sore thumb...

TAIGA BEAN GOOSE!...(P.162)

Can't think of many that I've seen in Yorkshire over the years. It just looked WILD!

The lady had arrived and the Geese started to make the agitated noises that Geese make. The group took off and glided low towards a nearby pool in the same field. The star of the show however climbed high, impressively quickly and headed south over Kilnsea.

A fine sight...

Paddle shaped wings?

Wild Geese...magnificent!