late goose departures

[big bad lindz]

A question to all in the know about goose migration. What is the latest time, on average that geese depart on the migration run to the breeding grounds.

Last week I saw on a number of days very large skeins moving north. I can only assume to North west Sutherland & Caithness and maby even over to the Orkneys. I could not make out what they were but I would suspect that they were greys. This is much later than I have seen in past years.

When do the geese actually go into moult? is there a given time period for this? and is there a mortilaity rate for the birds dying on route to the nesting grounds?

 

Thanks,

 

Lindsay

[anser2]

In a normal year greys will be leaving Scotland in the first 2 weeks of April and the pinks by mid month, but there are always going to be some hanging about and leaving later. We still have a few pinks in Norfolk now. However this late winter \ spring has been far from normal with prolonged cold weather so its very possible the return migration has been delayed. The wigeon and teal were about a month late leaving Norfolk this year and there are still a few lingering teal.

[ayano3]

Still Brent on Shep's see about 200 ish Sunday am

[joknob]

still a few down our way,changing the subject a bit,the local greys have quiet a few young uns. craig

Still Brent on Shep's see about 200 ish Sunday am

[stirky]

I heard there's still about 1.5k pinks still at southport ?

[fenntay]

John a large skien were coming out of morecambe bay early this week over grange.

[stirky]

They could be the southport lot then, very late this year. We also have a few knocking about on mbwa, but only small skeins of 30 or so.

[misser]

there are quite a few pinks still at southport - atb - thanks

[Pole Star]

I notice the Greylags in Orkney start to get very active on the wing in March & seem to me to constantly on fly about & I would guess this is to get the young birds fit for the long flight back to Iceland & as any falconer knows if your bird is not fit it will soon run out of steam ! so I think it makes sense ? .

 

As anser2 says the first 2 weeks in April is when I see them head off over my cottage & out to sea in the afternoons & evenings & keep going until they out of sight with binoculars . I also notice they seem to wait for the good weather & the warmer winds from a South or South easterly direction to help them on their way & I have often wondered how many of the young & old birds don't make it ??.

 

Regards .

[anser2]

Pole star I suspect the activity of geese flying about and making false starts on migration is because some birds are ready to go , but the draw of a flock is so strong that until the majority of birds feel the need to migrate. The age structure of the flocks will start to change in early spring as the adults will want to set off for the breeding grounds and family bonds start to break down. The last birds to migrate are in the main last years young and in Norfolk the brent flocks in May are almost all young or 2nd year birds.

 

My summer job intails the study of honey buzzards and the adluts start off on their autumn migration leaving the young to follow a few weeks later . Though in the case of geese family bonds are very strong and the whole family migrates south in autumn togeather.

[Pole Star]

Thanks again anser2 about family bonds in geese I have noticed that many of the greylags fitted with orange identification neck bands will often be seen grazing in their own groups even when among large numbers they seem to stay together in their own groups & they are very often a mix of young & adult geese .

 

Regards the honey buzzards ( off the topic ) a family of newly fledged honey buzzards fitted with radio trackers left Scotland & the last signal from one of the young birds was when it was known to be going round in circles over the bay of Biscay until it just vanished ! , expect you heard about that though .

 

Do check out the monthly bird report in the Orchadian news paper as its very interesting reading .

[anser2]

Yes some honey buzzards do get lost at sea The bird you are talking about flew for 5 days without landing and then the radio transmitter stoped showing movement well out into the Atlantic and it was suspected it finaly landed on some flotsam and finaly died.

[fandango]

the last skeins of pinks I saw where following the west Cumbria coastline on or around the 20th May, roughly 500 or so birds, mid afternoon,, we had approximately 50 or so on our local marsh which may have joined these as the next day they were gone,,,,, this was the latest I have seen them for years.

 

on the honey buzzards we had one here for a few days last week this now seems to have moved on.

[Pole Star]

the last skeins of pinks I saw where following the west Cumbria coastline on or around the 20th May, roughly 500 or so birds, mid afternoon,, we had approximately 50 or so on our local marsh which may have joined these as the next day they were gone,,,,, this was the latest I have seen them for years.

 

on the honey buzzards we had one here for a few days last week this now seems to have moved on.

 

Sure they were Pinks mate ? seems a bit late for them ? the Icelandic Greylags left Orkney some time ago & the resident geese already have young with them in the lochs .

It would be interesting to know the dates of the last hatching goslings in Iceland perhaps our friend anser2 can shed some light on it for us ?.

 

I had a pair of snow geese in the pond in my field last week & thats the first time I know they have been there , they have bred in Orkney but weather they will get a foot hold here or not is open to question ? .

Edited May 28, 2013 by Pole Star

[henry d]

Saw 3 adult Greylags and 5 goslings on the Tay near my house yesterday.

[the pigeon man]

I heard there's still about 1.5k pinks still at southport ?

Correct !! There's loads !!!

[fandango]

Sure they were Pinks mate ? seems a bit late for them ? the Icelandic Greylags left Orkney some time ago & the resident geese already have young with them in the lochs .

It would be interesting to know the dates of the last hatching goslings in Iceland perhaps our friend anser2 can shed some light on it for us ?.

 

I had a pair of snow geese in the pond in my field last week & thats the first time I know they have been there , they have bred in Orkney but weather they will get a foot hold here or not is open to question ? .

 

Yep they were pinks

[scolopax]

I always thought of Pinks as visitors from the Iceland. Whereas the Icelandic should really regard them as visitors from the UK, as they spend far more time on our shores as they do theirs.

[anser2]

True Scolpax , but Ihave always thought that it where the birds breed thats important rather than how long they stay in the wintering grounds. For example few people here regard the cuckoo as an African bird.