The Lincolnshire Bird Club

The tenth instalment of the Looking Back series. Mid-winter can still provide a few surprises, and the month of January testifies to this. Birds that feature include a couple of extremely rare Nearctic vagrants, 5 species of wildfowl (never dull, and surrounded by some interesting facts and possibilities), some extremely rare visitors to the county despite having breeding populations in the UK, (once again) some fascinating historical accounts, plus two of the earliest documented records of rare vagrants visiting the county. The weather may be dull, but the firsts recorded in January certainly are not. On with the review……………

2004 – AMERICAN ROBIN
On New Year's Day a search for some reported Waxwings on the outskirts of Grimsby led to the discovery of something much rarer. There being no sign of the Waxwings from the car park of the Haven Pub, a drive round the far side of the adjacent roundabout to view the berry bushes on the industrial road opposite produced a large thrush with an orange breast which was feeding on the grass verge – a stunning American Robin. It was feeding on fallen berries and whilst under observation it was chased off by some Blackbirds. After a while it flew across the road into the estate and it was observed to catch a worm. This bird then went on to make an extended day to the delight of hundreds of birdwatchers that came to see it. It frequented an area off the A180 near the Pyewipe Roundabout on Estate Road number 5. It could usually be relied upon in an area consisting of a small patch of bushes, grass verge, row of trees and adjacent car parks of the industrial estate. Initially it could be quite mobile (perhaps indicating it was fairly newly arrived in Grimsby?) but would show to a few feet and was generally very confiding. Later it would often feed on apples put down by birders on the grass verge. As time went on the bird had spells of spending more time in cover presumably having been well fed. A combination of moult contrast and plumage features helped age and sex the bird as a as a first-winter female. It remained until 8th March 2004 when it finally fell prey to a Sparrowhawk. A sad demise, for a wonderful rarity. This bird was only the 23rd British record of American Robin but followed two earlier arrivals the previous autumn, one of which also wintered. This bird (a first-winter female) was present at Godrevy Towans in Cornwall. Found on 14th December 2003 it was present until 2nd February 2004 when it may also have been taken by a Sparrowhawk. Prior to this bird's arrival, an adult American Robin had been present on Bardsey Island, Gwynedd from 11th to 12th November 2003. This notable influx of 3 birds to the British Isles coincided with an exceptional movement of American Robins in eastern North during autumn 2003. On the weekend of 8th to 9th November 2003, a deep low pressure system swept across the Midwest, pushing southbound migrants from Canada into the northeast. The front passed over New York City in the early hours of Saturday morning and as it swept into the Atlantic – heading for Europe, dropped large numbers of birds along the coast principally in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. For example Rockaway beach area in Queens, New York witnessed a day with skies full of American Robins, sometimes in flocks of thousands making their way westwards across New York harbour towards New Jersey. It is estimated as many as 400,000 to 500,000 American Robins passed during this movement just at this location. Similar numbers were also noted at Long Island, 30 miles to the east and huge numbers of birds were also reported from the coast of Connecticut and in New Jersey. At Cape May, New Jersey it was estimated well over half a million American Robins were overhead (amongst the highest numbers over recorded at this famous migration watchpoint). Comparing records it was clearly evident that several million American Robins were on the coast during the Saturday morning. It is perhaps therefore not totally unexpected that some American Robins made it to this side of the Atlantic and it is not unreasonable to speculate that both the Cornish and Lincolnshire birds had arrived earlier in the autumn before being later discovered in their winter haunts. American Robin breeds across almost the whole of North America and winters south to Mexico. Seven races are recognised, but these are only weakly to moderately defined and clinal. Prior to the birds in 2003 there had been 20 records of American Robin in Britain following the first, a first-winter bird present on Lundy, Devon from 25th October until 8th November 1952. Unsurprisingly most records have occurred in the south-west, but there are records from various Scottish localities and remarkably two from the inland county of Surrey. The Bardsey individual referred to above was the first record for Wales, whilst the Grimsby bird was the first live individual for the east coast – the only other record referring to the fresh corpse of a first-winter male found on board a ship at Felixstowe Docks, Suffolk on 2nd November 1994. In addition, the Cornish and Grimsby birds were only the fourth and fifth instances of birds overwintering in Britain. The others included two in 1966 (in Dorset from January to March and Windsor Great Park in February/March) and a bird on the remote outpost of St Kilda in January/February 1975. There have also been 11 records from Ireland and others in the Western Palearctic have been seen in France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Austria. Since these records in 2003/4 there have been a further 7 American Robins in Britain starting with an annual record total of 3 in 2006 (in Greater London during January to March, Highland in May and Scilly in October). This was soon followed by a popular inland bird that lingered in West Yorkshire during January and February 2007, a bird in Devon in November 2010 and two birds last year (2013) with an individual discovered on Tresco Scilly in October (lingering until early November) and another which graced South Uist, Outer Hebrides for more than a week in late November.

1998 – WHISTLING SWAN
On 22nd January a visit to Nocton Fen primarily to look for raptors, resulted in the discovery of a much rarer bird. At around 13:00hrs a group of Bewick's Swans were noticed feeding unusually close to the road. After a couple of minutes it was noticed that one of the birds appeared to have an all dark bill, a feature of Whistling Swan, the North American counterpart of Bewick's Swan. The bird was studied with the accompanying flock of Bewick's Swans for around 10 minutes, when the very limited amount of yellow on the bill was noted. The possibilities of discolouration or staining were discounted as all birds in the group appeared to be in a clean condition. On manoeuvring the vehicle the group of swans were able to be approached down to a range of 100m where excellent views were obtained. The bird was watched for a further hour, until it was eventually lost from view in the undulations of the fields as the birds worked their way across the fen. A visit the next morning failed to locate the bird amongst the Bewick's Swans present and it was not seen again. This bird was only the second accepted record of 'Whistling Swan' in Britain, with the first referring to a returning individual between 1986 and 1990. This record involved an adult present at Hay Moor and Curry Moor, Somerset from 5th to 25th January 1986, moving to Durleigh Reservoir, Somerset from 26th January to 12th February. What was considered to be the same individual returned with up to 270 Bewick's Swans on water meadows near Ibsley Bridge, Hants from 31st December 1986 until 25th January 1987. It reappeared at Curry Moor on 12th December 1987 and remained until 31st January 1988 and again from 26th November 1988 until 12th February 1989 and for its third consecutive winter on 3rd January 1990 being last seen at King's Sedgemoor on 3rd March 1990. Allowing for duplication, three is the revised total for Ireland. All were between 1978 and 1990. The first of these was an adult at Lough Gill, Co. Kerry from 31st December 1978 until 1st January 1979 with the last a bird seen on the North Slobs refuge, County Wexford on 29th December 1990 and 3rd March 1991. Additionally there are five accepted records for the Netherlands (all in with flocks of Bewick's Swans) with the first for Europe an adult at Zonnemaire, Zeeland on 15th February 1976 and the most recent a returning bird seen from 28th November 1997 to 8th February 1998 and again from 18th December 1998 until at least January 1999 . This is therefore truly a rare bird in Europe. The percentage of yellow on the bill is believed to be the only reliable field characteristic, although with some of those records noted above there is some doubt that, as identifications were based solely upon the bill markings, this may not have taken account that it could in fact have involved Bewick's Swans with much reduced yellow on the bill.

1982 – BLACK BRANT
On 21st January whilst counting Pale-bellied Brent Geese at Skidbrooke, an individual with the Brent flock was located which showed characteristics of the race B.b. nigricans, known as Black Brant. The bird was present with 700 Dark-bellied Brent and 4 Pale-bellied Brent, but was easily picked out with its distinctive plumage. The bird was once threatened by a surrounding group of Dark-bellied Brent but otherwise fed normally within the group. It was still present on 23rd January when the bird was seen by other local observers, but not thereafter. The second county record was a bird seen at Kirton Marsh on 19th February 1987 with the first half of the following decade producing birds at Wainfleet on 10th January 1991 and Holbeach Marsh on 10th November 1996. However, a bird seen at Butterwick Marsh on 26th April 1998 was the forerunner of what have become almost annual records since then. Trying to interpret actual numbers recorded in the county has become very difficult due to the possibility of returning individuals as well as birds moving between sites, particularly in the area of the south-west Wash. Most locations between Gibraltar Point and the Nene Mouth that hold any sizeable flocks of Dark-bellied Brent Geese have produced at least one record of Black Brant, but favoured location seem to have been Gibraltar Point and the stretch of Wash coastline between Butterwick Marsh and Kirton Marsh. A bird at Cleethorpes and Humberston from 9th November 2000 (with two on 18th November) until at least 29th January 2001, with possibly one of these birds at Tetney on 9th April 2001, was the first bird seen on the north-east coast since the very first county record and Skidbrooke 18 years previously. Although further records for this part of the county have been forthcoming, the Wash is still the main area and offers the best chance of finding a Black Brant in the county. Black Brant breeds in the Canadian Arctic from Melville Island westwards to Alaska and in northeast Siberia westwards to the Taimyr Peninsula wintering on both sides of the north Pacific southwards to Baja California in the east and the Yellow Sea in the west. Black Brant is considered by some authorities to be a separate species (from dark bellied and pale-bellied brent geese) and it has been suggested by some limited DNA analysis undertaken that for example Black Brant and Pale bellied Brent could be as distinct as Snow and Ross's Geese. In recent decades the breeding range of Dark-bellied Brent Geese has expanded eastwards following a population increase. This has brought them into contact with the westward expanding population of Black Brant in the area of the Taimyr Peninsula, increasing the likelihood of them becoming caught up with westward migrating flocks of Dark-bellied Brent Geese. On 30th January 1993 three Dark bellied Brent Geese (2 female and 1 male) were caught at Kirton Marsh; one female had been ringed on 23rd July 1989 while the male and the other female (presumably a pair) had been ringed on 31st August 1990. These birds had originated from the Taimyr-Delta West in Siberia and had travelled a distance of 5,125km south-west to reach the wintering site at Kirton. These recoveries provide firm evidence of the origin of some of our wintering birds. The first British record was a bird identified as "Pacific Black Brant" amongst Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Foulness, Essex on 9th February 1957 being seen again on 17th February the same year and then returning the following winter when seen in February 1958. Most British records are from areas where the largest concentrations of Dark-bellied Brent occur, between Lincolnshire and Essex. However, Lincolnshire and Norfolk perhaps account for the lions share. With the Wash being the most important site in the UK for Dark-bellied Brent with a mean average of around 20,000 individuals this is perhaps hardly surprising. The record of a Black Brant at Spurn and Kilnsea, E Yorks intermittently between 18th February and 23rd May 2001 was the first record for Yorkshire. Mixed population of Dark-bellied Brent and Black Brant have been recorded in the breeding grounds in the area around the Taimyr Peninsula and perhaps account for an increasing number of hybrid records that are being claimed in Western Europe. The first British record of such an occurrence was a mixed pair of Black Brant and Dark-bellied Brent Goose with 6 hybrid young at Thorney Deeps West Sussex from 8th January to 18th March 1989. Further records were forthcoming from Dorset in 1997 and Norfolk in 2001 and since then several claims have been made as increased observer awareness and closer study of Brent flocks have been made. There can be great variation amongst individual birds however, and it has to be said there is debate surrounding some of the claimed hybrids whether in fact they are as such or perhaps just 'dark' Dark bellied Brents or 'paler' Black Brants! The criteria for suggesting a hybrid does seem to be somewhat subjective depending on which camp you sit. Intergrades have been reported several times in Lincs the first of which dates back to 1992. There is no doubt that spending some quality time studying Brent flocks in the county is an education with some very interesting individuals out there.

1943 – LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
A bird was recorded on a stall at Grimsby Market about 1874 which was considered to have been shot locally but in the absence of any details of origin the record could not be accepted. Therefore the first and only reliable county record considered to relate to a possible wild bird is that of an adult male which joined a pinioned pair of the same species at a private collection at Holbeach Marsh in January 1943. It left the following day and the details were recorded by one Mr Peter Scott. There are no further accepted County records, although the species has been seen on a few further occasions, although all were considered to be escaped birds based on location, time of year or behaviour. Escaped records are still few and far between however and involve only four records in the last 30 years. A bird was seen at Thorpe Pits on 11th September 1984, an unringed adult was present around Read's Island from 7th May to 10th October 1992 (when it was shot), whilst the same year another very tame adult was present at Saltfleetby on 31st October. The most recent documented record was that of two birds seen at Cleethorpes on 27th March 2008. Lesser White-fronted Goose is a species which formally bred across northern Scandinavia eastwards across northern Russia and Siberia and wintering in southeastern Europe, mainly in northern Turkey and Iraq. However, since 1950 a serious decline in numbers has taken place across the whole of its range prompting a re-introduction programme in Scandinavia. Up to 1990 a total of 99 birds were recorded in Britain since the first was shot in Northumberland in 1886. Remarkably one site accounted for 63% of all British records – The wildfowl and wetlands trust reserve at Slimbridge where a large population of European White-fronted Geese winter. Since 1990 this species has become an extremely rare visitor, no doubt linked to the population crash in the species. For example the decade of the 1990s produced a total of 9 birds, compared to a peak total of 32 birds during the 1950s. Since 2000 there have been just 3 British records of single birds in 2001, 2003 and 2010 and this has become the most prized of rarities once more, although its precarious conservation status means the chances of wild bird reaching our shores are now very low. As with all wildfowl, escapes are always a possibility with, for example, a 1991 WWT survey revealing 29 fully-winged birds at large between Cumbria and Kent. This species is now endangered in Europe. The decline for example in the Finnish staging areas has been from c.200 birds in the early 1970s to c.50 birds in the 1990s while the counts from the wintering area of the Evros delta in Greece have been equally depressing. In 1973 the peak count was 480, but in the early to mid-1990s fewer than 100 have been seen there. The population does in fact seem to be declining throughout the species range from Fennoscandia to easternmost Siberia. By the end of the 1990s the world population was estimated at not more that 25,000 to 30,000 individuals, although following research this figure was revised to 28,000 to 33,000 individuals in 2008, roughly equivalent to 18,000 to 22,000 mature individuals. Roughly half of these belong to the eastern population, which breeds in eastern Siberia (east of the Taimyr Peninsula) and winters mainly in China. The bulk of the western population breeds in central Siberia and winters probably somewhere around the Caspian and Black seas and into the marshes of Iran and Iraq. In the late 1990s the fennoscandia population was on the verge of extinction with just 30 to 50 breeding pairs remaining. The last breeding birds in Norway were noted in 1992, the last breeding of wild Lesser White-fronted Geese in Sweden occurred in 1989 and there have been no confirmed breeding records in Finland since 1995. Research and conservation work was carried out by working groups in both Norway and Finland whilst a Swedish project concentrated on a reintroduction programme using Barnacle Geese as foster parents. The aim of the Swedish programme was to establish a new population which would migrate to safer and better wintering areas in the Netherlands. To achieve this Barnacle Geese which bred in Sweden and wintered in the Netherlands were used as foster parents. From 1981 to 1998 301 Lesser White-fronted Geese (275 goslings and 26 yearlings), about 20 per year were released at the same site in Swedish Lapland. These birds then usually arrive with the Barnacle Geese in the Netherlands in November. By 1997 29 breeding attempts had been made in the wild by these reintroduced birds with 64 young fledged. In the winter of 1997/98 a total of 61 Lesser White-fronted geese were counted in the Netherlands. By the winters of 2003-2005, up to 120 geese of the supplemented/reintroduced population were recorded in the Netherlands. It was estimated in 2005 that circa 96% of the originally supplemented/reintroduced Swedish birds may winter in the Netherlands, although the actual breeding population of introduced birds in Swedish Lapland may only be around 15 pairs. No releases have occurred since 1999, following the discovery of genes of Greater White-fronted Goose among the captive stock, however the population continues to show a moderate rate of increase. During 1989-1997, 143 Lesser White-fronted Geese were released in Northern Finnish Lapland to try at the same locations to bolster the dwindling wild birds. Only eight of the restocked individuals have been seen back in northern fennoscandia during the summer but in winter birds from this programme have been recorded in Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Britain and Spain. Mortality rate in these birds was high with gradual declines in the number of birds noted and in 1998 no further birds were released. Not being sufficiently imprinted on their release areas was considered a contributing factor. No breeding of wild Fennoscandian birds has been confirmed in Norway, Sweden or Finland since 1995; the current estimate for the breeding population is 0-5 breeding pairs. The status of the Fennoscandian population nesting on the Kola Peninsula of northwestern most Russia is unclear with more detailed research required. It is still possible that the total Lesser White-fronted Goose breeding population of the whole Kola peninsula could number tens of pairs, taking into account the huge area of potentially suitable and mostly intact breeding habitat. The most recent data suggest that the Polar Ural population has fluctuated in line with the decreases noted in other parts of the European tundra. Despite a viable breeding population and no obvious changes in the condition of the breeding area the population of European Russia has decreased in size and range, although satellite telemetry has recently tracked one bird to Iraq, the wintering grounds of 80% of the Western main population are unknown. Following a long-term decline, from an estimated 10,000 individuals in the early 20th century, Lesser white-fronted Goose is perhaps now the rarest breeding bird in Western Europe with breeding in Fenoscandia now restricted to two very small isolated populations – the few wild birds in the Kola Peninsula in north west Russia and the reintroduced birds of Swedish Lapland.

1942 – SNOW GOOSE
The occurrence of the Snow Goose in Lincolnshire prior to 1914 was open to much debate and no recognised occurrences seem to be documented. Therefore, a bird seen near Boston on 31st January 1942 which was considered to have been of wild origin is therefore generally regarded as the first fully authenticated bird for Lincolnshire. Occurrences of Snow Geese remained rare and erratic in the county over the next three decades, although sightings then became almost annual from 1978 onwards. It is suspected that most of the birds recorded in the last 30 years or so, have related to escapes or birds from free flying feral stock. Most years have produced only one or two records, although unfortunately several sightings may have gone unrecorded as birds are instantly dismissed as escapes. This is unfortunate as it does not allow a true pattern of occurrence to be established in the County which may then assist in trying to differentiate between certain escaped/feral birds and potential wild individuals. A large proportion of the records have involved birds at inland locations, either alone or in some cases associating with feral Greylag or Canada Geese and it is generally assumed therefore these birds are non-wild. Coastal records are much rarer, although in all cases it is interesting to note that few of those documented have been in summer, with most during the winter months, or especially during the spring in April and May – perhaps hinting at birds reorientating to native areas? A bird present in the Scunthorpe area (first seen in 1997) commuting between Ashbyville Lake and Messingham remained in the same area until 2000, being joined briefly by a further individual in both 1998 and 1999. In 1997 the bird paired with a Greylag but the breeding attempt failed. Most of the county's records refer to single birds or pairs with the maximum number of birds recorded on a single occasion being 9 birds which flew over Far Ings on the Humber with 5 Greylag Geese on 24th November 1994 with presumably 7 over Barton on 28th December the same year being part of the same wandering group. It is always interesting to speculate on the origin of certain birds but some records involve some interesting circumstances which perhaps deserve a little more attention. In 1980 two adults (one white and one blue phase) flew south at Saltfleetby on 14th May. It is interesting to speculate that these could be birds dispersing from the flock seen in Kent and Holland in March and April of that year (see below for details of these birds) and if so would be a very interesting record indeed. A white phase bird was present with Dark-bellied Brent Geese south of the river at Gibraltar Point on 7th February 1982. This is a rare occurrence of Snow Goose appearing on the coast in winter within the county, although Dark-bellied Brent Geese would not normally be considered an associated carrier species. A blue phase bird was present inland at Messingham and occasionally nearby Ashbyville Lake from 13th October 1985 until 4th March 1986. It is interesting to note that blue phase Snow Geese are generally much scarcer in captivity than white phase birds; 1985 was a classic autumn for the variety and numbers of Nearctic vagrants reaching Britain, and of course Messingham certainly has the potential for hosting a vagrant nearactic water bird (Green Heron 2001?!). The fact that this Snow Goose arrived during prime time in autumn and departed in the early spring surely only helps its cause. In 1986 another white phase bird was seen on the coast at Gibraltar Point from 14th to 18th May. Also seen on Wainfleet Marsh during its stay, it joined the Dark-bellied Brent flock and was also joined by 4 Pink-footed Geese. Could this also have been a bird re-orientating back to its native land with a prime 'carrier' species? (Pink-footed Goose). Despite the fact that some records could involve a wild bird, escapes have been proven in the County on at least two occasions, although these in themselves are still very interesting records. Three Snow Geese present at Washingborough in March 1957 were traced as having escaped from the Wildfowl Trusts collection at Slimbridge, Glos., whilst a Snow Goose shot adjacent to The Wash at Dawsmere (near Gedney Drove End) on 2nd December 1978 had been ringed as a juvenile in a wildfowl collection near Oslo, Norway on 20 July 1976 and just goes to show the distances that escaped birds can cover. There are however three 'stand out' recent county records that would appear to involve genuine vagrant Snow Geese and certainly have the best credentials of any birds seen in the county. The first of these was a white phase adult which flew south over Marston STW with 35 Pink-footed Geese on 29th January 1995. It is likely that these birds were transiting between the regular early wintering grounds in Lancashire to spend the rest of the winter in the regular north Norfolk areas. In 2006 a white morph Snow Goose flew south at Spurn, E. Yorks with Pink-footed Geese on 13th October before being observed south past Mablethorpe, arriving in north Norfolk later that same day. This bird then remained in the Docking/Holkham area until the 20th but then moved back into Lincolnshire being seen in fields amongst Pink-footed Geese at Sutton Bridge from 25th October until 1st November when it then returned to Holkham. It then went on to visit various sites in Norfolk, last being seen in Docking on 10th January 2007. The next time it was seen was its third visit to Lincolnshire when (with Pink footed Geese) it was seen flying over Frampton Marsh, then Girton Pits and Clumber Park, Notts, Poolsbrook Country park, Derbys and sites in South Yorkshire on 14th January 2007. It arrived at Martin Mere, Lancashire on 20th and then Downholland Moss, Lancs from 26th to 28th and then Banks Marsh until 1st February. This much travelled bird was then last seen in Cumbria from 4th to 22nd March 2007. Remarkably on 15th September 2007 an adult white morph Lesser Snow Goose was tracked flying south (at 30 miles per hour) with Pink footed Geese along the English east coast, and was recorded in Lincolnshire during this time. First seen at Filey, N. Yorks at 12:00 it was then seen south past Flamborough with 87 Pink-footed Geese at 12:20, Bridlington bay, E. Yorks at 12:29, Spurn, E. Yorks at 13:35, Chapel Point, Lincs at 14:35, Titchwell, Norfolk at 15:20 and finally Holkham, Norfolk at 16:00. Watchers at Chapel Point witnessed a total of over 4000 Pink-footed geese heading south towards Norfolk between 11:30 and 18:45 on this date, so a major arrival was clearly taking place, and it therefore seems highly likely that the Snow Goose had latched on to these flocks somewhere in Greenland or perhaps Iceland. This bird then remained in the Holkham area until the months end before touring Norfolk with the Pink-footed goose flocks for the remainder of the winter months. It is highly likely that this was the returning bird of 2006/07, so had perhaps summered with Pink-footed Geese somewhere in the northern Tundra. Breeding throughout North America, two races of Snow Goose occur. Lesser Snow Goose winters along the Gulf coast of the USA, with more western populations occurring in southern and western regions of the southern USA, while the Greater Snow Goose is found along the Atlantic coast of the USA. Goose flocks certainly act as a carrier for rarer species, and any Snow Goose seen in the UK accompanying Icelandic Greylag, Barnacle or Pink-footed Geese is likely to be considered a genuine vagrant. However, the true status of most birds in the UK is difficult to establish as some are undoubtedly escapes from waterfowl collections or offspring from feral populations. In the UK, the Naturalised Goose Survey 2000 revealed a total of 86 individuals at 17 sites, although this total did not include the self-sustaining population in Argyll. In 2010/11, WeBS reported the presence of Snow Geese at 19 sites, with most records being of one or two birds; with the exception of Fairburn Ings where 22 were observed. A self-sustaining flock of feral birds exists on the island of Coll in Argyll, which has numbered between 25 and 45 birds in recent years. Many of this flock were colour-marked in 2002, but no records away from the immediate vicinity of Coll have been subsequently reported, suggesting that records elsewhere in the UK do not relate to birds from Coll. Occasional breeding also occurs elsewhere but reports seem to be genuinely few and far between. The British population estimate of feral birds in 2011 was just 180 individuals. Interestingly a flock of 6 Snow Geese seen in Orkney in April 2012 included a bird carrying a darvic leg ring. This bird had been ringed as a gosling in Neuss, Dusseldorf, Germany in June 2009 (amongst a feral flock of Snow Geese) where it remained until April 2010 amongst a flock of 70 birds. In January 2011, it turned up with 9 others on a canal in the middle of Utrecht, Netherlands where it remained for a month before next being seen a few miles north of Koehool, Freisland, Netherlands with 83 others! It then returned to Utrecht in November 2011 (as part of a flock of 6) before next turning up on Orkney on 22 April 2012. Orkney is approximately 1000km from where this particular bird was originally reared, and similar to the Dawsmere individual mentioned above shows the distances that both escaped and feral birds can cover. However, in 1980 a flock of 18 Snow Geese (including 4 first-winters and 1 blue morph) were observed flying down the Thames at Broadness and then later seen at Cliffe, (Kent) on 1st March. What were presumably the same birds were then seen at Andijk, Noord-Holland, Netherlands between 18th and 26th April 1980. Surely escapes or feral birds bearing in mind the size of the flock and the time of year? Would much more have been made of such a sighting had one of the birds not been colour ringed which indicated it was a male Lesser Snow Goose ringed as a gosling at La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba, Canada in 1977?! Wild Snow Geese do occur!


Part 2 covering 1700 to 1899 to follow soon................


Matthew