NUMBERS

Estimated numbers of pink-footed geese regularly wintering in the UK vary enormously, but appear to have risen dramatically from a low of around 30,000 in 1950 to over 350,000 since the turn of the century. The Scottish Wildlife Trust put the total at 372,000 – 90 per cent of the world population! The increase is mainly attributed to increased protection on both their summer breeding grounds and traditional winter roosts.