Sunday 15 January 2012

Tamefowl?

A nice selection of winter wildfowl today - almost all of it astonishingly close and unperturbed by close observation.


I am sure I must be the last Lothian birder to connect with this Tundra Bean Goose at Musselburgh - it is feeding next to the road with the feral Greylags. This is not a species that is well known for giving good views.



This Pink-footed Goose has also been hanging around Musselburgh. Today it was at the gull-feeding site at the electric bridge. It does not look too healthy...


The other close-encounter was with Goosander at Figgate Pond. One male (above) and two females were snapping away for crusts of bread. The other wildfowl were very keen to keep away from those serrated bills!

2 comments:

Stuart said...

Glad you got the TB Goose - it is a bit weird seeing one so close. I was looking for it on the Esk from the car and I almost ran it over!
That is a very good Goosander shot.

Morg said...

Ha - I know what you mean - I almost veered into a parked car myself! I am amazed to have seen the TB and Wf Geese without any effort this year after so many wild goose chases in 2011.

The goosanders were the most cooperative ones I have ever seen - very active though difficult to get any sharp images.

Geoff