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Migrant goose flock

 

 

Brent geese as well as barnacle geese migrate, numerous bean geese too and of course cranes. It seems that the favourable migration weather will last on the weekend too..

 

We will meet migrating bean geese until the end of November. Their nesting territories are in the north,  bean geese don't nest in Estonia .

 

In flight view they leave a quite dark impression: head and neck plumage dark brown, on the greyish-brown belly plumage there are no speckles. Young birds appear darker than the adult birds – the white edges of feathers are narrower.  The black beak, longer than that of other geese, has a bright orange pattern in the centre, different for each bird. Eye colour brown, legs yellowish white. Bean geese have a length of more than 70 centimetres, the wing span is more than a metre and a half and the weight around 3 ½ kilos.

 

Good observation spots inland for bean geese are the Aardla and Räpina polders, the Vooremaa lakes and the surroundings of the Ilmatsalu fish ponds. In West Estonia, Silma and Matsalu, in addition the Häädemeeste coastal meadows and Audru. As an estimate about 25 000 birds make a migration stopover in Estonia, a similar number as for the departing grey geese.

 

Bean geese on stubble field. Tamme, on the Võrtsjärv shore

 

In the bean geese flocks white-fronted geese can be seen sometimes but more about them in tomorrow’s article.

 

 

On the weekend  October 4th-5th the traditional international birdwatching days, EuroBirdwatch 2014, will take place, celebrated throughout Europe already for the 21st time. With it attention is focused on the peak of the autumn bird migration. The Estonian Ornithological Society invites all Estonian bird friends to take part in the observation days. In case of favourable migration weather the weekend promises to be very rich in birds since just now the mass migration of cranes and Branta and Anser geese, and others, has started.

 

To take part in the observation days nothing more is needed than simply going outside to watch the birds. It can be done in your home garden while doing other things or by going on a longer birdwatching trip. In several places in Estonia it is possible to take part in a free guided bird watching session. The hottest spot is surely Cape Põõsaspea in north-western Estonia where already in the beginning of September at least a million birds had passed on migration. All interested are expected there on Saturday 8 pm to 13 am.

 

For making the Estonian and international summaries we ask you to write down your observations and forward them to us by way of the easy-to-use questionnaire on the EOÜ home page. The first quick summary will be made already on Sunday night, and so we ask you to please forward your results on Sunday at 16 o’clock at the latest. Those who cannot do that can report until October 10th.

 

You will find information on guided bird trips, help to fill in the questionnaire, and guidelines and much more on the EOÜ home page: www.eoy.ee.

 

Splendid bird experiences!

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