13/10/2024 WWT Martin Mere, Burscough, Lancs

Snow Goose: I found myself with a free day, as Dawn took Autumn to her sisters for the day so I decided to spend the morning at Martin Mere and see if the snow goose I saw the previous weekend was showing any better today.

They are native to North America and are rare vagrants to the UK, but also a frequent escapee from waterfowl collections. There is a feral breeding population of snow geese also, thought to be around 100 pairs. 

Although these feral flocks are typically found on the Inner Hebrides and other smaller feral flocks in Norfolk and Hampshire. Any snow geese that  are usually considered to be genuine ‘wild’ birds are those occurring with carrier flocks of Greenland white-fronted geese in northwest, Scotland and Ireland. Yeah, so I think the fact it’s associating with greylags does it no favours. But who knows?

Lapwing: I spent a few hours in the hide overlooking the mere, watching c40 whooper swans many showing really close to the hide, honking and whooping at each other. 

 

In the fields surround the mere and flocking overhead where c2000 pink-footed geese were sighted and there were c150 greylag goose keeping the snow goose company on the mere too.

It was a really pleasant way to spend the morning, not only with the Autumnal flocks of wildfowl but with the company of Marcus and his dad Dave Owen. Good to catch up lads. 

04/12/2021 Water lane, Crossens, Southport

Snow Goose:  A wild windy day, but between work and the baby I have to take what little time I have to get out birding when I can. 

So, today my destination was Southport to try my luck with the snow goose. 

When I arrived a message came from from Stuart Derbyshire saying that the bird had flown off the marsh and landed in a stubble fields close to the pumping station, I wasn't quick enough to see it here but it was relocated around the corner off Water Lane.  

The bird was associating with around 20 pink feet and despite the strong winds and poor weather it was particularly mobile, fling between the fields around Crossons. 

Thanks again to Stuart Derbyshire for the gen. Big help, as usual. 

 

12/02/2017 Fylde, Lancashire

Todd's Canada Goose:  Yesterday I was back on the Fylde goosing and this time I had lady luck on my side as I saw all the geese I was hoping for.

After reading Dave Craven's Twitter post giving some direction to a very large flock of pinkies and the location of the Todd's I decided to go straight there and spent two hours in the freezing cold wind scanning through the tons of geese.

Barnacle Goose: The Todd's showed well within the flock and was easy to pick out, however it was best viewed from Gulf Lane, just past the goat farm.

The flock also contained two Barnacle Geese and three European White-fronted Geese, but I was unable to pick out any Bean Geese, the wind was frustrating me and the grass was pretty tall obscuring their legs.

Pink-footed Geese:  This part of Lancashire is brilliant at this time of year, there is nothing better than spending a couple of hours goosing.

Snow Goose: Not only did I finally catch up with the Todd's I also caught up with the blue morph Snow Goose by Woodlands Country Park caravan site.

The Snow Goose was showing incredibly well within a large flock of Greylag Geese.

This bird is generally thought to be an escaped bird, however I read it had come in with a flock of pinkies and moved in with the Greylag as both birds like to eat grass.

After dipping this bird on several occasions I was made up to have finally seen it, despite its origins its a cracking bird to see.

From Woodlands Country Park I headed to Scronkey, a little village near Skate Pool, here I not only caught up with the Red-breasted Goose but Freestyle 'Fred' Fren and Simon Smethurst kindly pointed me in the direction of the RBG.

I watched the RBG weave in and out of the other geese and get lost between the fence posts and undulating ground.

The RBG was pretty distant, viewed from Lancaster Road and was with 7 Euro White-fronted Geese and about 80 pinkies.