Goose influx

 

This has been a remarkable winter for wild geese in the UK, and especially for those of us watching the skies over Deeping Lakes LWT.

The Christmas period saw a significant influx of Russian White-fronted Geese and Tundra Bean Geese into the country. It felt like every other day there were new reports coming in from around the region. I was fortunate enough to catch up with both species locally — and, pleasingly, White-fronted Goose ended up being one of the final additions to my patch year list.

That alone would have made it a good winter.

But early February brought another wave.

A second influx of Russian White-fronted Geese has resulted in thousands being recorded across Britain, with some impressive and, in places, record-breaking counts. Locally, numbers have been particularly notable. A couple of flocks of 70+ birds were recorded nearby — exceptional figures for this part of Lincolnshire.

On my own patch at Deeping Lakes, I’ve been lucky enough to see several flocks either flying over or dropping in briefly. Last weekend alone, different groups were recorded on three of four days — including nine birds that dropped in on the reserve for a short stay.

To put that into context, White-fronted Goose is not an annual species at Deeping Lakes. Some winters pass without a single record. So to have multiple flocks moving through in one weekend is genuinely special.

It will be interesting to see whether numbers remain strong through the rest of the winter, or whether this latest influx quickly disperses.

Either way, it’s been a winter to remember for goose watching in the Peterborough area.