As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Saturday, 17 November 2012

Pink-footed geese set to take final dawn flight for visitors


With the harsh Scottish winter about to kick in, the RSPB reserve at Loch of Strathbeg is gearing up for its final spectacular sight of the year – the chance to see around 20,000 pink footed geese take flight in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Wrapping up against the cold, intrepid bird watchers, nature enthusiasts and members of the public will descend on the stunning surroundings of the loch on Saturday, November 17, at 6am for the chance to view the birds take off in a flock of thousands at dawn for the last time this year.

The event is the culmination of the RSPB centre’s continued hard work, with staff working tirelessly over the years to make sure the birds are comfortable alongside the other natural wildlife that flocks to the area.

Diana Spencer, Visitor Officer at the Loch of Strathbeg reserve, said: "Over the past six to seven years, we have spent over £1,000,000 on the habitat for the geese. We make sure that the vegetation is right and we can artificially maintain the water levels to keep the geese comfortable."

She added: "We have had eight watches this year, held in the evening and in the morning, but the morning dawn ones are incredibly spectacular. The sheer number of birds means that over 10,000 will fly at the same time in the morning and, along with the dawn chorus, the chance to see otters, owls and badgers means it is a great sight to see."


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