Brent Goose (Dark belied variety)

[PeterD]

These birds spend Autumn to Spring in the the coastal regions of Europe, along the English channel and North Sea, and also Ireland. Two populations visit here, the pale lower chest birds (which breed in Greenland and Iceland) and the dark lower chest birds (which breed on the Arctic Tundra).
The most common form of this Goose that arrive in Langstone Harbour are of the dark lower chest variety although numbers of the pale lower chest variety are also seen.

Large flocks of these birds can be seen in flight during tide changes.



At this time of the year they are working hard to eat enough to build up their fat reserves in preparation for the long flight to their breeding grounds in April.
Their diet includes eelgrass and algae on the mud flats and seeds and grass in the fields.










Hope you like these

[Wee man]

Re: Brent Goose (Dark belied variety)

nice shots No. 2 for me.

[David Morison]

Re: Brent Goose (Dark belied variety)

Some nice images here Peter, especially the last flight shot and #4. We get thousands on the Lincolnshire coast but the overwhelming majority are Pale bellied Brent.

David

[PeterD]

Re: Brent Goose (Dark belied variety)

nice shots No. 2 for me.

Some nice images here Peter, especially the last flight shot and #4. We get thousands on the Lincolnshire coast but the overwhelming majority are Pale bellied Brent.

David

Thank you Ed and David

I understand that the two variants stick together and seldom mix with each other. It is also interesting to learn that the pale variety are more common in Lincolnshire.