Seven Species of Goose in Essex

5th February 2022

A trip to Mersea today with No1 son Mark, stopping off at Abberton on the way. The emphasis has shifted over the last couple of weeks as the huge rafts of Aythya ducks have migrated from the Layer de la Haye causeway to the Layer Breton causeway. Even more amazing was that every Goosander had also disappeared. The only waders on show were a handful of Black-tailed Godwits and a couple of Snipe feeding in the south-east corner.

There was also a pair of Teal dabbling in the margins.

Just a single drake Goldeneye was diving off the sluice, but also finding time for a preen.

The over-wintering littoralis Rock Pipit was getting even tamer as it fed along the water-line, giving views down to just eight yards.

On the way to the Layer Breton causeway a quick stop at Garr House Farm to count the Cattle Egrets. The sheep have now been moved but the egrets obviously like the feeding there because they have stayed. Just six today...............

.................and this one was playing his new game jump over the mole hill!

At the Layer Breton causeway it would be rude not to mention the long-staying Baikal Teal hybrid which will quite happily stand just a couple of yards away from you, and amongst the huge flock of Aythya ducks there was just a single rather splendid drake Red-crested Pochard.

For the first time this winter I have seen the red-head Smew back in its favourite haunt, fishing close in to the reed bed by the weir. What a cracking little bird.

So what about the geese I hear you cry. Well, not too surprisingly Goose Species Nos 1 and 2 were the usual suspects of Canada and Greylag Geese which are present everywhere in large numbers.

Goose Species No 3 was the Egyptian Goose which didn't exist here in the 1960s. Now they are building up in numbers and even nest in the trees behind the weir.

Goose Species No 4 was an unexpected addition, four Barnacle Geese. These are almost certainly not truly wild birds but come from one of the many local feral flocks in the south-east. However, they are always a welcome addition and must rate of one of the neatest geese we have.

For several days now there has been a flock of 31 White-fronted Geese (Goose Species No 5), but unfortunately they were nowhere to be seen when we arrived. However, luckily they flew in and started to swim towards the causeway for some photos. This was a very special moment for me as I saw my very first White-fronted Goose from this very causeway in the 1960s.. Just love their white faces.

What was even more unusual was that there was a single Pink-footed Goose (Goose Species No 6) in amongst them seen here in the middle of the photo. Pink-footed Geese are very common in winter on the North Norfolk coast with their numbers running into tens of thousands. However, they seldom go south from there and therefore they are very scarce in Essex and often are just a single bird like this which has overshot its normal wintering ground or has teamed up with a flock of other geese.

So what about Goose Species No 7? Well, the missing species is the Brent Goose. Brent Geese are very common on the Essex coast but rarely venture inland and are a rarity at Abberton. Therefore straight on to Mersea and a quick wall along the sea wall to find several feeding in the fields.

What an absolutely fantastic day!!!