Migrating bird numbers rocket
Despite much of the UK basking in unseasonally warm temperatures, Autumn is truly here as the influx of migrating birds arriving to spend the winter here appears to be gathering pace.
27 Barnacle Geese arrived at Caerlaverock last week, but today that number has jumped to a staggering 11,500 - representing almost half the Svalbard Barnacle Goose population.
Among them is 'Braveheart', one of 11 Barnacle Geese satellite tracked by WWT scientists. The first four Bewick's Swans to arrive on our shores were spotted near Happisburgh in Norfolk earlier this week, fuelling speculation that Welney will soon be welcoming some of the 4,000 Bewick's that spend the winter there. Last year, the first Bewick's Swans arrived at WWT Welney on 15 October.
Last week Martin Mere saw the arrival of some 10,000 pink-footed geese, but counts this week are expected to take that figure nearer 20,000 - almost 10 times as many as this time last year. It is thought that cold weather coming down from the Arctic Circle may be driving the birds south early.
Whooper Swans have also begun to arrive at Martin Mere and Caerlaverock a couple of weeks earlier, as activity in Iceland with WWT's Super Whooper appears to be hotting up. One Super Whooper appears to be preparing for winter migration. Fiachra has flown down to the south coast of Iceland - a popular gathering place for Whoopers making final preparations for the journey across to the UK. You can follow the progress of Fiachra and the other Super Whoopers via our interactive map
