6 “Russian” White-fronted Geese turned up near Cholsey Marsh today. Initially found by Paul Rainsden at Little Stoke and then re-located by Ian Lewington on the Cholsey side of the river. Later in the day they flew back to the Little Stoke area. They were with a flock of c20 Canada Geese.
A rare visitor to Cholsey, last recorded in January 2011 when a flock of 45-50 turned up in various locations around the village.
AD, IL, MP, PR.
courtesy Ian Lewington
courtesy Alan
courtesy Ian Lewington
courtesy Alan
The following is information from the BTO:
“This small, grey goose with white forehead blaze and black belly-bars is a winter visitor to wetlands and coastal marshes.
Two races of White-fronted Goose occur in the UK: the nominate race albifrons, which breeds in western Russia and is referred to as Russian, or European White-fronted Goose, and flavirostris, which breeds in western Greenland and is called Greenland White-fronted Goose. Greenland White-fronted Geese occur in the north and west of Britain and Ireland, whilst Russian White-fronted Geese can be found in the south and east.
Wetland Bird Survey data show the range of sites where the two races winter, and it is estimated that 10,000–12,000 Greenland White-fronts and 1,000–2,000 Russian White-fronts spend the winter months here in the UK.”
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