scolopax Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 Just returned from my fifteenth annual trip to the northern firths, Dornoch, Cromarty and Beauly. Over the last five years there has been a massive reduction in Greylag numbers, never super abundant but at the start we would see several thousand in various places, then several hundred, then a few hundred, and this year, barely a few dozen. A remarkable decline in a few short years. In complete contrast the Pinks have arrived and are now present in places we never ever saw even a single bird. Coincidence or do migratory Greylags and Pinks not mix that well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 They don`t tend to mix, however they can be in the same areas but at different times. My local area has pinks early on then greys later, strangely we didn`t get many greys stopping through the summer, not sure why Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakin stevens Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 Up here on the firths for 2 weeks , seen a fair few greylag about , but not on the shore , usual places for greylag are empty especially connon bridge. Every year is different , but its been at least 3 year since I've seen thousands of greylag in one spot . Pinks are in a different place Every day! Its a proper goose hunt mind , my hands have turned into crows feet after 4 shifts in snow showers and heavy rain . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6.5x55SE Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, scolopax said: Just returned from my fifteenth annual trip to the northern firths, Dornoch, Cromarty and Beauly. Over the last five years there has been a massive reduction in Greylag numbers, never super abundant but at the start we would see several thousand in various places, then several hundred, then a few hundred, and this year, barely a few dozen. A remarkable decline in a few short years. In complete contrast the Pinks have arrived and are now present in places we never ever saw even a single bird. Coincidence or do migratory Greylags and Pinks not mix that well? They have been hammered for years in Iceland at least 10 years ago Icelandic Goose shooters/Guides was getting £10 per Goose . I used to go to Scotland for proper Migrating Grey lag something I've not done 25+ years . Google Goose cull reports for Iceland When i went to Scotland regularly i often shot Greylag and the odd Pink's then 50/50 then it was Pink's with the odd Greylag on morning flight Edited November 16, 2017 by 6.5x55SE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy baxendale Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 I was a student near a Firth and spent 3 years chasing geese several times a week - Graylags were the standard fare with pinks pretty hard to come by. I go back every year and the opposite is now the case - plenty of pinks and only the odd Grey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted November 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 First year my party did not shoot a Greylag. Bit sad really, yet there are thousands upon thousands just a few miles further north in Caithness and the Orkneys, where likewise they seem to be hammered over decoys by those who think double figures to a gun per flight is to be expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer425 Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 24 minutes ago, 6.5x55SE said: They have been hammered for years in Iceland at least 10 years ago Icelandic Goose shooters/Guides was getting £10 per Goose . I used to go to Scotland for proper Migrating Grey lag something I've not done 25+ years . Google Goose cull reports for Iceland When i went to Scotland regularly i often shot Greylag and the odd Pink's then 50/50 then it was Pink's with the odd Greylag on morning flight !00% agree with this post and all i could add is a personal opinion that inland goose shooting as over the past 20 years as gained popularity here in the uk not just in Scotland but now everywhere one hears of greys admired feral s the most part being shot in number inland in England something which as always happened but not as prolific as it is today. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6.5x55SE Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 54 minutes ago, scolopax said: First year my party did not shoot a Greylag. Bit sad really, yet there are thousands upon thousands just a few miles further north in Caithness and the Orkneys, where likewise they seem to be hammered over decoys by those who think double figures to a gun per flight is to be expected. And 99.9% of those Greylag are Feral which migrate within north England and Scotland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 An exert from this weeks Shooting Times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishop Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 Breaks my heart to know icelandic greylag are being hammered up in the northern isles the way they are.We had greys on the Eden when i was a boy.None now.They claimed they were stopping up in Orkney.If that were true and they were doing the same from other greylag haunts (staying up north) then that explains the rise in greylag numbers up there in some part.It comes as no surprise at all to hear they are being culled on their nesting sites.This ends one way for greylag in the next 20 years.Im ashamed i shoot sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlandladdie Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 8 hours ago, 6.5x55SE said: Icelandic Goose shooters/Guides was getting £10 per Goose . Not a lot in Iceland, £14 for a 'pint' during happy hour! Early in the season I generally see good numbers of Greylag building, but as soon as the barnicles arrive the Greylag dissappear. The only ones to stay are the residents. Must move further south? Now I very got about 5-7000 geese at my back door I can't do anything about. Sad times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted November 17, 2017 Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 (edited) 22 hours ago, bishop said: ....We had greys on the Eden when i was a boy.None now... Still there, unless you mean Cumbria, see them regularly when passing Guardbridge. Scolopax - Strangely I was walking the dog yesterday evening and there were greys across the river on Mr. Mansfield`s back lawn. Edited November 17, 2017 by henry d Forgot how many Edens there are :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishop Posted November 17, 2017 Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 Henry.You are looking at pinks not greys.Total count just now is 12 and thats high .Last season we had 10 or so.Back in the 80's and 90's we had 500 plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted November 17, 2017 Report Share Posted November 17, 2017 Pinks and greys as a whole do not mix though is captivity greys will dominate pinks.. The Solway was once mainly a greylag marsh, but that changed 50 years ago and its become a pink foot marsh. I suspect greys will not suffer the daily barrage like pinks and soon move elsewhere to somewhere quieter. Also given the chance greylags will use freshwater lakes and rivers as roosts far more than pinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yanto Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 I stay in Orkney. When I started shooting as a young teen in the late'70's we would rarely see greylag and if you bagged one that was a real bonus. Now we have a resident population of 25,000 and probably another 100,000? over-wintering here. Why this has changed I'm not sure, but mild winters in Orkney due to the gulf stream and good grassland feeding are certainly factors. There's far less mallard now, and I still yearn for a good night over stubble on a bitter, windy night with large flocks of widgeon, just like the olden days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 There are much fewer in the Isle of Harris this year, recent years has seen many hundreds on my local fields, this year there seems to be maybe a hundred, they have been heavily hit in the southern islands due to crofters complaints. I saw a few hundred coming in from the Atlantic about a month ago. however noticeably numbers increase in late February, i expect to take advantage of available grazing....... we will see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted November 20, 2017 Report Share Posted November 20, 2017 On 17/11/2017 at 15:45, bishop said: Henry.You are looking at pinks not greys.Total count just now is 12 and thats high .Last season we had 10 or so.Back in the 80's and 90's we had 500 plus. Nope, I`m looking at and hearing (which is the decider as far as I`m concerned) greys. There are at least a couple hundred about Mansfields lawn at the moment and there were a few over flying them yesterday without dropping in. Should be passing Guardbridge and St Andrews later this week and will keep an eye on the Eden and the Tay as I head towards Dundee too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishop Posted November 20, 2017 Report Share Posted November 20, 2017 (edited) Seriously m8 there is no couple of hundred greylag at guardbridge at this time whatsoever.I appreciate your insistance but im out there day in day out.Anyone in any doubt whatsoever as to what im saying best call the ranger service for an up to the minute update on goose numbers.The only way this could be factual was if they were passing through and roosted that previous night because as i said earlier the greys in big numbers are long gone .I do hope they return but im not holding my breath Edited November 20, 2017 by bishop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted November 21, 2017 Report Share Posted November 21, 2017 I didn`t say at guardbridge at the moment, they are at Scone Palace (Mr. Mansfields back lawn), right where the game fair is in the summer. Last night they were joined by several 000 pinks as they woke me several times and there was also a skein of greys calling too, possibly because the tide pushed them off the Tay sandbars but most likely they have just arrived. Greys and pinks were both early this year where I live and there were lots of greys late to leave last year, especially in the e. neuk area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlandladdie Posted November 21, 2017 Report Share Posted November 21, 2017 On 19/11/2017 at 19:06, islandgun said: There are much fewer in the Isle of Harris this year, recent years has seen many hundreds on my local fields, this year there seems to be maybe a hundred, they have been heavily hit in the southern islands due to crofters complaints. I agree, on the Uists it's much the same. Some very unsavory (to me) bags. This year has seen lower numbers of Greylags. Probably the lowest I can remember. Unfortunately they are public enemy number one here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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