Pink Footed Geese (1 Viewer)

[DSpeight]

This morning, (Sunday 17th October) I saw two skeins of Pink Feet, totalling approximately 260 birds flying in a NE direction over my home patch (Bakewell in the Peak District). My question, which may sound dumb, is from where to where were they travelling? I'd have expected them to be moving in a broadly southerly direction?

It was a wonderful sight though!

 

[Rob Smallwood]

Good question!

I have seen skeins of c100. 150+ and now 300 flying west over Timperley, Greater Manchester over the last 4 days.

Normally any we see are fling south-east in the morning, presumably from the Lancashire population, flying to the Cheshire farmland to feed, and sometimes passing straight over on their way to Norfolk.

Mine flew over at 8:45 this morning - what time were yours?

 

[John Marshall]

Several skeins of pinkfeet have been passing over Lincolnshire from the NW to North Norfolk. This happens most recent years these being Martin Mere birds leaving for the sugar beet fields in North Norfolk.

 

[DSpeight]

Good question!

I have seen skeins of c100. 150+ and now 300 flying west over Timperley, Greater Manchester over the last 4 days.

Normally any we see are fling south-east in the morning, presumably from the Lancashire population, flying to the Cheshire farmland to feed, and sometimes passing straight over on their way to Norfolk.

Mine flew over at 8:45 this morning - what time were yours?

Oddly enough, mine were at 09-15! They were very high, and I would think they were also passing over, on their way to a permanent location. From here, a NE route would take them to the Yorkshire coast, or maybe a little further north, which might suggest Northumberland, which seems reasonable, but from where? The Migration Atlas doesn't offer any help.

 

[Rob Smallwood]

I've no idea - but we had another flock this morning at about 8:20 !

 

[James Blake]

I too have Pinkfoot questions. On a couple of days earlier this month watched skeins coming over the Wash into Norfolk, in late morning and early afternoon - a wonderful sight! Rather romantically imagined them to be arriving from the far north, but after reading this thread I'm wondering if they were commuting from Lincolnshire (not that Lincs can't be a romantic place...)

So, first question: is there any way of telling Pinkfeet on migration from local traffic? E.g. by formation, calls, height, time of day?

Second question: do the Norfolk Pinkfeet have regular staging posts on their migration and, if so, where are they?

Grateful for any info or opinions.
James

 

[John Marshall]

Hi James,

To answer your first question, I do not think it is possible to tell migration from inter-county dispersal, particularly at this period of the autumn. Flyover skeins during the mid-morning/early afternoon period I would suggest are birds already in the UK and moving on a food availability basis. As in my previous thread many cross from Lancs (Martin mere) to North Norfolk from mid to late October, this has been a pattern of movement for several years now.

Second question: In my opinion staging posts occur on Norfolk geese, with a possible stop-over after leaving Iceland where the majority come from being NE Scotland in particular (I have proof that the majority of pinkfeet that wintered in Lincolnshire in the early 1950's came from Iceland).

Unfortunately in South Lincolnshire we no longer get huge numbers of pinkfeet like we used to do some 40/50 years ago. Feeding habits changed as they now seem to be content in eating vast quantities of sugar beet tops, a diet we never saw years ago. I have been watching and chasing pinkfeet for almost sixty years, and I am still learning new things about their wily ways. Talk about my Wild goose chase!!!!!!!!!!

Regards

 

[StevieEvans]

Hello DS et al

Sun 17th had 160 south at 18:10 at coastal site

My Other Pinkie are:-

24th Sept 229 birds South, Coastal AM
24th " 6 " North, Inland PM
26th " 100 " " , Chevington, North'd
27th " 177 " " , Coastal PM (3 flocks 68+36+12)
1st Oct 1 " at Dormans, N.Tees.
3rd " 1,000 " at East Chevington, North'd.
16th " 400 " " " "
(17th)

None Since!

SE

 

[James Blake]

I have been watching and chasing pinkfeet for almost sixty years, and I am still learning new things about their wily ways. Talk about my Wild goose chase!!!!!!!!!!

Regards

Sounds like a wonderful and meaningful way to spend sixty years. And thanks for the info.

Regards
James