Goodbye to the geese
The last weekend of March was jam-packed with events centred around saying goodbye to one of our favourite winter migrants, the beloved barnacle geese. The weekend started with a dusk Wardlaw walk, where lots of geese were seen flying into roost, despite the weather being less-than ideal.
The Saturday was a lovely day for us reserve staff, as we were based at the Saltcot Merse Observatory from 11-3 chatting to visitors about the barnies and the reserve as a whole. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with our visitors and discuss our ongoing work.
Sunset by Megan Grisewood-Foley
The final goodbye event was the highly-anticipated, and fully booked, dusk flight. Excitement was in the air as the weather stayed in our favour, providing a dry and clear evening for such a special event. Thousands of geese could be seen feeding in the fields in front of us, and they were seen flying off towards the waters edge to roost. A wonderous sunset, and hot chocolates all round, brought the weekend to a satisfying close.
Barnacle geese are still being seen around the reserve - apparently they, like the weather, haven't got the message that it's spring yet!
Words by Megan Grisewood-Foley
Feature image of flying barnacle geese by Peter Jordan
