Pink-footed geese have landed in near record numbers in Angus on their way to wintering grounds south of the border.
Numbers at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Montrose Basin reserve hit 84,400 at the start of the week – just a few thousand shy of the all-time record total of an estimated 90,000 recorded in October 2016.
The spectacular figure from the latest count comes ahead of this weekend’s Icelandic breeding goose census, a coordinated national survey across several locations led by the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust.
Pink-footed geese pass through the reserve on their long migration from Iceland and Greenland to wintering sites in England.
They roost on the Basin overnight before dispersing into surrounding farmland to feed during the day.
SWT Montrose Basin ranger Anna Cowie said: “Having so many pink-footed geese on the Basin shows that we are providing a safe resting place for them after a long journey over the sea.
“They are also reliant on good breeding grounds in Greenland and Iceland, as well as suitable wintering sites in England. This demonstrates the importance of maintaining healthy habitats in several countries for migrating birds.”
She added: “It’s hard to describe the noise of the geese on the Basin when they are gathered in such high numbers.
“They are a fantastic wildlife spectacle and it’s always a little bit sad when they leave. They have arrived relatively early this year so we’d expect that their numbers will start to tail off in the next few weeks.
“Even after the geese head south there will still be plenty of birdlife to see on the reserve, from large numbers of wintering shelduck and wigeon to the resident kingfisher which is being spotted regularly from the visitor centre.”
The Basin visitor centre is currently open Thursday to Monday but online booking at scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/montrosebasin is essential under the pandemic restrictions.
