34,000 Brent Geese arrive in Ireland, but where are all the youngsters??
This year’s International Brent goose survey carried out on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October counted 34,000 geese, somewhat lower than what was expected. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), in partnership with other organisations and volunteers, conducted counts on the main autumn staging areas in Ireland, while the Icelandic Institute of Natural History made an aerial survey of western Iceland.
With forecasted tail winds in Iceland, there is a chance that some geese may have been missed while on migration between the two countries. However, from regular observation over the past few weeks it is becoming clear that there is hardly a single youngster amongst the large flocks that have arrived on Strangford Lough this year a more likely reason for reduced numbers. It appears that breeding conditions in the high arctic were far from ideal last summer caused by a late spring and widespread snow cover across much of their breeding grounds. Although recent climate change has been causing Arctic ice shelves to contract, the timing of spring is of paramount importance as to whether conditions are suitable for breeding. The birds fat reserves, already partially used during their migration over the Greenland icecap, must be drawn upon for survival while waiting for conditions to improve, this year leaving little for the actual business of egg laying.
Poor breeding seasons are frequent for this high-arctic species but until this year there have always been some families that manage to successfully hatch and rear young somewhere in the wide expanse of their arctic range. The Light-bellied brent population has been growing steadily over the last decade, doubling in size since the late 1990’s. With this year marking the second poor breeding season in a row, another failure next year and the maths dictates that much of this long term gain may be lost.
Of all the geese that have been tagged and later resighted returning to Strangford Lough every year the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust would like to welcome back a pair wearing the leg rings BH (both yellow) and BI (also yellow) returning to the mudflats at Castle Espie for the 12th year in a row. Caught and ringed as adults near Reykjavík , Iceland in May 2001 this pair have always been recorded together rearing families in 2004 and 2005. “BIyy” having lost both his plastic rings had his rings replaced when he was recaught in Iceland in 2009. They usually spend October and November on Strangford before moving to their wintering quarters close to Killard Point.
Dot Blakely, Castle Espie resident bird expert highlighted, “The enjoyment that I get out of the Brent Geese being back is when I see Brent Geese in Strangford for the very first time. This can be either in the Brent Hide at Castle Espie on one of the ‘Guide in the Hide’ Sundays or Birdwatch Morning the last Thursday of the month. Seeing these beautiful small geese either feeding in front of the hide or giving everyone a noisy fly pass as the tide is on the turn.”
