Monday 25 February 2013

Geeses..... gooses


The skies darkened over Druridge Farm, not a rain cloud which you would expect in February, but a cloud of geese.

a cloud of geese
Pink-footed geese to be accurate.  This huge skein split into two, with  half heading south towards Cresswell and the remainder settling in the fields to the north of the haul-road. I'll have a look through them later I thought.

headed south, about half of the skein


As I got out of the car a stunning male merlin flew north through the dunes, stealth like. I didn't even try to photograph it, just enjoyed the moment.

This odd looking goose was hanging around with a small group of Canada geese. Is it just an aberrant plumage or should I be questioning it's parentage?

Odd goose
I headed north to scan the goose flock, which I did until frostbite had set into my nose-end. No bean or white fronted geese amongst the flock, but I was rewarded with two barnacle geese.

A trudge across the dunes to scan the sea, which had picked up a bit of swell in the strengthening NE wind. The only bird I picked up offshore was a shag. It was bang-on high tide so there wasn't much beach, bu enough to find these two tottering about the surf.

turnstones - not common at Druridge
turnstone

High-tide is always the best time to see turnstone at Druridge, when they get pushed off from Snab Point or Hauxley.

Four new species added to the patch list takes it 77 and the patch competition score to 87.

74 merlin
75 barnacle goose
76 shag
77 turnstone

2 comments:

Alan Tilmouth said...

Canada Goose x Swan Goose hybrid ? Bill profile seems to look good for Swan Goose and hint of a dark neck sock? Could be Greylag x Swan though, one thing's for sure it's parents were swingers.

Ipin said...

It seems to have a very steep, angular forecrown. Swan goose has a more sloping 'roman' head. Although I can see some pics which suggest a bit of swan goose....