Great Geese!

The BTO reserve consists of a series of lakes that attract a variety species including Great Crested Grebe, Sedge Warbler and Kingfisher. Last night the Canada and Greylag Geese were the target of our annual goose round up. At this time of year the geese moult all of their flight feathers so are unable to fly and are slightly easier to catch.

Once we had guided them out of the water into a purpose made pen, they were taken out one by one and ringed. We caught 98 birds in total (85 Canada Geese, 12 Greylag Geese and 1 Barnacle Goose) and with 31 geese recaptured from previous years including several from 2008. Its easy to assume that these geese don't go anywhere but last year we had a report of one of 'our' geese, shot near Woodbridge in Suffolk! Who knows where these birds will turn up.


One notable capture was of Canada Goose 5207443, which was ringed by the RSPCA on 09/10/08 at East Winch, Norfolk (39km). This bird was recaptured at the BTO previously on 13/07/09.


View Goose Roundup in a larger map

Thanks to Laura Smith (BTO) for the photos.