Grey Geese, Scotland (1 Viewer)

Capercaillie71

Well-known member

• Nov 1, 2008

• #1

I took some photos of a flock of 4-500 pinkfeet and greylags today. Looking closely at them I noticed a couple of apparently darker geese among them. Unfortunately they had their heads down so I doubt it will be possible to ID them, but I wondered what anyone else thought. Trick of the light? Immature birds? Or something more interesting?

 

Attachments

• 
  Geese1.JPG

  96.7 KB · Views: 147
• 
  Geese2.JPG

  79.1 KB · Views: 146

peterarras

Well-known member

• Nov 2, 2008

• #2

Capercaillie71 said:

I took some photos of a flock of 4-500 pinkfeet and greylags today. Looking closely at them I noticed a couple of apparently darker geese among them. Unfortunately they had their heads down so I doubt it will be possible to ID them, but I wondered what anyone else thought. Trick of the light? Immature birds? Or something more interesting?

Click to expand...

Hi,
think about Greenland White-fronted Geese, but i don't no how the juvenile looks.
Cheers
Peter.

 

Attachments

• 
  Greenland White-fronted Goose, Hampton, Peterborough, UK..jpg

  60.8 KB · Views: 41

Cristian Mihai

Cristian Mihai

• Nov 2, 2008

• #3

IMHO, they are Greylag Geese. See the big orange bill and the pinkish legs in the second pic.

 

Dimitris

Birdwatcher in Oz

• Nov 2, 2008

• #4

I think I can see one Bean Goose in the first picture...

Cheers!

Dimitris

 

Capercaillie71

Well-known member

• Nov 2, 2008

• #5

Cristian Mihai said:

IMHO, they are Greylag Geese. See the big orange bill and the pinkish legs in the second pic.

Click to expand...

Yes, there are certainly greylag geese in the foreground, and some pinkfeet too. The geese I was unsure about are the two darker ones towards the back of the photos.

Both whitefront and bean geese are very rare here but have been recorded at this site once or twice each in the past.

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Nov 2, 2008

• #6

I'd strongly suspect that these are Greenland Whitefronts. They're obviously not Pink-feet and there aren't any really obvious other possibilities. Greenland Whitefronts can look quite dark in certain light, more than other grey geese.

 

StuartReeves

Local rarity

• Nov 2, 2008

• #7

Andrew Whitehouse said:

I'd strongly suspect that these are Greenland Whitefronts. They're obviously not Pink-feet and there aren't any really obvious other possibilities. Greenland Whitefronts can look quite dark in certain light, more than other grey geese.

Click to expand...

That is also my impression from the photos; I'm pretty sure the dark colouration isn't just a trick of the light.

 

Capercaillie71

Well-known member

• Nov 2, 2008

• #8

Thanks all. Whitefront seems a strong possibility - there seem to be more than normal about in the north-east at the moment, but I don't think it is possible to be certain.

I had another look today, but most of the flock had gone - there were still 100 or so greylags, but only 10 pinkfeet.