Pink-footed Goose   Anser brachyrhynchus

Fairly common passage migrant, seen mostly in September and October

 

Recorded annually. Some birds occasionally overwinter (one in 1955/56 and 1958/59).

 

Occasional singles or small skeins are seen in April and May. However, most birds are seen on passage in the autumn and daily counts can reach the hundreds in some years, such as:

 

1996 – 500+ on the 3rd October.

1998 – 240 in two skeins on the 23rd September

2002 – 308, 800 and 403 were the maxima between 28th September and 1st October.

2004 – 250 on the 16th – 17th September

2005 – 550 on the 22nd and 500 on the 23rd September, followed by 200 on the 10th October.

2006 – 370, on the 27th September

 

The majority of birds are seen heading South and only small skeins, if any, make landfall on the island.