Brant geese? (Copenhagen, Denmark) (1 Viewer)

[gkamov]

Hi there!

Managed to take a long distance photo of this flock of geese today at the Klampenborg shoreline in Copenhagen. Are these Brant geese? Look all dark with white bottoms...

Thanks!

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Branta bernicla (hrota)

 

[gkamov]

Branta bernicla (hrota)

Thanks!

 

[Nutcracker]

Looks more like nominate B. b. bernicla to me - dark flanks :t:

Both subspecies occur on passage in Denmark, but B. b. hrota mainly in the west in Jylland, with B. b. bernicla more in the east.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Looks more like nominate B. b. bernicla to me - dark flanks :t:

Both subspecies occur on passage in Denmark, but B. b. hrota mainly in the west in Jylland, with B. b. bernicla more in the east.

I did wonder but some of the birds that I could zoom in with any detail looked pale flanked - the others I put down to wing shadow - I believe Denmark’s wintering population are pale-bellied (although as you say, dark-bellied occur on passage)

 

[Nutcracker]

Dark-bellied are much the commonest, particularly away from the far northwest: https://dofbasen.dk/ART/art.php?art=01680

 

[Deb Burhinus]

I don’t read Danish so your link is next to useless!

I dont think it’s possible to tie the images down to sub species on this quality with any degree of absolute certainty and given that Denmark plays winter host to nearly the entire breeding population of Spitzbergen’s Pale-bellied Brents, albeit mostly in NW, either sub species is possible imo.

In answer to the original question, I think we can agree they are Brent Geese.:t:

 

[Nutcracker]

I don’t read Danish so your link is next to useless!

I dont think it’s possible to tie the images down to sub species on this quality with any degree of absolute certainty and given that Denmark plays winter host to nearly the entire breeding population of Spitzbergen’s Pale-bellied Brents, either sub species is possible imo.

In answer to the original question, I think we can agree they are Brent Geese.:t:

I can 8-P

Den mørkbugede knortegås, som yngler i det nordlige Sibirien, er den klart almindeligste race, og den raster i hele landet ved lavvandede hav- og fjordområder og i løbet af vinteren også på strandenge og græsarealer

"The dark-bellied Brent Geese, which breeds in northern Siberia, is the clear commonest race, and it occurs in the whole country by tidal sea and fjord areas and in winter also on coastal meadows are grass areas"

De lysbugede knortegæs, som forekommer i Danmark, yngler på Svalbard og i det nordøstlige Grønland. De er meget mere fåtallige end de mørkbugede og ses kun almindeligt i det nordlige Vadehav og på nogle få lokaliteter i det nordlige Jylland

"The pale-bellied Brent Goose, that visit Denmark, breed on Svalbard and northeastern Greenland. They are much more scarce than the dark-bellied and are only seen commonly in the northern Vadehavet [the mudflats on the west coast between Esbjerg and Ribe] and at a few localities in northern Jutland"

So pale-bellied Brents would be exceptional in the København area in the east of Denmark. :t:

 

[Deb Burhinus]

well they must be dark bellied then 8-P

I can only see Branta bernicla on my screen - without all the googling and editing

 

[rollingthunder]

Just out of interest - what is the Red flag for?

Laurie -

 

[Nutcracker]

Just out of interest - what is the Red flag for?

Laurie -

Lobster / crab pot marker flag. One flag & buoy at each end of a long rope with about 30-40 pots inbetween, very useful as markers when pointing out seabirds ("just coming up to the first double red flag NOW!!"). Sometimes you see the lobster boat go out to the 1st flag and winch up the line of pots, pulling a lobster out of every 10th pot or so (something to distract you on a quiet seawatching day!). You've obviously never done any seawatching 3

 

[rollingthunder]

Never done any seawatching! That’s you off the Xmas card list pal

You will not believe this but i thought they were flying over.....fields:eek!: hence the question:-C

Fyi i worked on Blakeney Point for 2 Summers and we (National Trust) had an ex crab boat that we used to take out for ‘mackereling’ - we used to mix it with the Gannets and our breeding Terns which we catching Mackerel, Sand Eels and Whitebait so i am well acquainted.....once i have figured out the habitat of course!

Laurie -