Bean Geese

Tundra Bean Goose

I managed to catch up with the Bean Goose this morning and achieved much better views. The neck appears shorter and thicker than taiga Bean and the peaked forehead is more fitting for Tundra Bean so I'm going for Tundra Bean in the photo. The legs although not visible in the picture were bright orange and the mantle looked brown in the field eliminating confusion with Pink-footed Goose. Tundra Bean numbers have been steadily rising in the UK since the 2nd of December with the biggest numbers occurring in Aberdeenshire, Clyde, Norfolk and Northumbria. The birds arrivals can be easily explained by examining weather systems throughout the month with many days showing winds coming from their breeding grounds in the Arctic Tundra.

The Ring-necked Duck was still present this morning. I saw the Mute Swan flock had risen to 53 but was too far away to see if the Bewick's was still present.