Pink footed geese in flight, Southport, Merseyside. UK Weather. 10th Oct, 2019. Windy conditions at the coast as an estimated 48,800 migrant birds rise at dawn from the RSPB Ribble Marsh. Pinkies signal the arrival of winter on the Sefton coast as the huge flocks of migrant pink foot geese arrive from northern climes to overwinter in England. Thousands of “Pinkies” spend the winter months, grazing and foraging on the West Lancashire farmlands during the day and roosting on the Estuary grasslands. About 280,000, 80% of world population winter in the UK. Credit: MediaWorldImages/AlamyLiveNews
Efficient and high-speed flyers, satellite tracking and tagging has revealed Pinkies can make the long journey down from Iceland and into Scotland in about 18 hours. After that they make the short hop south to our coastline – although some flocks complete the entire journey in a single flight. The first few tend to turn up in the last days of August, although at this stage it is always hard to be sure whether they are new arrivals or one of the small number that over-summer, whether through injury or feral origin. Then by the middle of September more and more come winging in from summer breeding areas on Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard, dropping down onto the Ribble and the surrounding farmland to graze almost as soon as their big pink feet hit the ground. The pink-footed goose is a medium-sized goose, smaller than a mute swan but bigger than a mallard. It is pinkish grey with a dark head and neck, a pink bill and pink feet and legs. This species does not breed in the UK, but large numbers of birds spend the winter here, arriving from their breeding grounds in Spitsbergen, Iceland and Greenland. Numbers in England are on the increase, particularly in Norfolk, probably due to better protection at winter roosts.
Size: 3600px × 2400px
Location: Southport, UK
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: aerial, animal, annual, anser, autumn, avian, bird, birds, birdwatching, brachyrhynchus, britain, british, coast, estuary, farmfields, flight, flock, flocks, fly, footed, fowl, geese, goose, grey, grounds, lake, lancashire, landscapes, migrant, migrate, migrating, migration, migratory, mudflats, nature, north-west, outdoors, pink, pink-footed, river, shore, south, swim, uk, water, waterfowl, webbed, wetland, wildlife, wintering
