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Greater white-fronted geese and two bean geese

 

Despite the beautiful weather today’s trip was short. Geese  are already arriving in great numbers to Estonia so I checked the fields in the Aardla polder surroundings: a larger flock might be in place already there too. The polder itself this year is without any major floods yet and only few waterfowl have arrived. But on the fields behind Reola 3000 geese are on the ground already. More than half the birds were bean geese, the remainder being  greater white-fronted geese. A flock of this size usually has some geese with neck rings but today no rings were in evidence. However, I found 2 pink-footed geese in the flock. It is a rare passing migrant that according to the e-Biodiversity database has been seen a few times this spring. The pink-footed goose is the 133 bird species in my 2012 year species list.