1000’s of Migratory Geese make a Surprisingly Early Return to Strangford Lough
Over 5000 Light-bellied Brent Geese have arrived early in Strangford Lough having bypassed their normal stopover in Iceland. This is an unusual occurrence and likely caused by strong tail winds which carried them on from Greenland to Strangford Lough. Some birds have even continued past Strangford Lough to Dublin, to the west of Ireland and even Devon. Around this time last year numbers of Brent were recorded at 300.
90% of the world’s population of Light- bellied Brent Geese come to Strangford every Autumn where they feed on its vast expanses of eel grass exposed at low water. These birds take on the largest migration journey of any goose travelling 2,900 miles from Ireland to the Canadian high arctic every year. Having crossed the Greenland icecap they normally stop in western Iceland for a few weeks to replenish fat reserves. However this year several thousand geese have returned earlier than expected.
John McCullough, Learning Manager at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre suggests, ‘this is unusual but makes a lot of sense. If the birds find favourable weather conditions, to speed up their hazardous journey, they’d be foolish not to use it. The early arrival of geese could mean that they have had a favourable summer in the Arctic and have reached migration condition early. These forerunners may also be last year’s youngsters not yet old enough to breed and not held back by goslings.'
Brent numbers normally increase gradually from early September to a peak in mid October. In 2011 a record 38,000 were counted before they dispersed to other bays and estuaries around Ireland with several hundred making it as far as northern France. Breeding success is never guaranteed however, and with cold arctic summers, repeated years of poor breeding can quickly take their toll. They remain a small population compared to other low-arctic species of geese and with climate change, pressure of development, and habitat destruction, they still need to be closely monitored..
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