Special guest post by Paul Stancliffe, BTO Media Manager.
Martin vs. Chris. Swans vs. Geese. Boom.
Martin and Chris went head-to-head tonight to determine which are better: swans or geese? But both are a sight to behold in the coming winter. During the next few weeks almost a million geese will be arriving here in the UK to spend the winter months with us. Greenland White-fronted Geese and Dark-bellied Brents will have made their departure from areas as far apart as Greenland and eastern Siberia, respectively.
Credit: Adam Berger
The largest part of the entire world population of Pink-footed Goose will spend the winter months here too. As many as 360,000 birds make their way from Iceland to three main wintering locations in Lancashire, northeast Scotland and Norfolk, providing one of the most evocative of winter spectacles as they flight in and out of the nighttime roosts. Barnacle Geese wintering in Britain and Ireland come from two different breeding populations, one from Greenland and Iceland, the other from Svalbard. The latter spends a large part of the winter in the Caerlaverock area, whilst the former mostly winter in the west of Ireland and in all around 90,000 individuals of this charming little goose arrive here.
Credit: Paul..A
Wild swans, escaping the freezing temperature of northern climes will also be making their way here. Whooper Swans from Iceland and the smaller Bewick’s Swans from Arctic Russia begin to arrive during the latter half of September and throughout October. The latter has a patchy distribution during the winter in the UK but the most significant area is around the Ouse Washes in the East Anglian Fens. Whooper Swans, by contrast, are much more widespread, with important wintering areas in south and central Scotland, the Ouse Washes and central western Ireland.
Credit: Mark Coates & Jeff Lack Photography
This can change with a prolonged cold-snap. As water bodies freeze over and the ground hardens swans and geese will often move in search of more suitable areas. During these conditions flocks on the move can be encountered almost anywhere and it is worth listening out for their distinctive flight calls. These can be heard in the BTO identification videos - so head on out and see what winter brings! https://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-id/grey-geese and https://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-id/bto-bird-id-wild-swans.
