The big picture
An incredible influx of Russian White-fronted Geese into south and east England has seen birds turn up at some unlikely locations, as this image showcases.
It began at the very end of November and now, as January heads into February, the almost unprecedented aftermath of the event is still there to be appreciated in many parts of England: an influx of Russian White-fronted Goose, the albifrons form of Greater Whitefronted Goose. Few English birders will forget the extraordinary arrival of these birds this past winter. Concentrated around southern and eastern England, more than 500 different sites have so far recorded the species – a truly remarkable figure for a bird that is traditionally rather localised, as well as on the decline as a winter visitor.
This photo perfectly sums up the incongruous nature of many records associated with the influx: a beautiful adult, all the way from the Russian tundra, drinking from the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park in central London. This was one of many bizarre records, with urban parks, small ponds and normally goose-less parts of the Home Counties hosting birds, sometimes for weeks on end. Meanwhile, sites along the east coast – especially in Kent, Essex and Suffolk – recorded flocks a few hundred strong. Many thousands of birds have reached Britain, but it’s hard to make a firm estimate on the exact number.
The reasons behind the influx are unclear, though there have been a few suggestions. Russian conservationists and birders have reported a fantastic breeding season for the goose, which may account for bumper numbers wintering in western Europe and thus population ‘overspill’. Another theory is that changes in farming practices in Norfolk and The Netherlands might have forced wintering geese to find other foraging grounds. One more possible factor is the fairly recently established breeding population in The Netherlands – thought to derive from summering birds – which has increased. ■