A gander at winter geese

A European White-fronted Goose (right), with a Greylag Goose behind (Steve Culley)

Widespread snow across Scandinavia and northern Germany last week led thousands of geese to cross the North Sea as their feeding grounds were covered; the Hamburg area saw 40cm of snow, the biggest fall this century. Most numerous were European White-fronted Geese, of which many thousands crossed eastern and northern Britain in a swathe from Fife to Kent. A small proportion made it into North Wales: a handful on the Dee estuary and behind Towyn were dwarfed by 73 near Burwen, the largest count on Anglesey since the mid-1950s, and 42 in the Glaslyn valley, the highest total in Meirionnydd since 1987. Around 30 White-fronted Geese in the Cefni valley were also presumed to be European birds, as the regular flock of Greenland-race geese numbers no more than a dozen.

Elsewhere, eight Barnacle Geese grazing at Warren Farm near Talacre may have a similar origin, as larger flocks occurred in eastern England. 6500 Lapwings and 5000 Golden Plovers making impressive aerial manoeuvres in the Cefni estuary were probably also moved by cold conditions.

Pink-footed Geese are more regular in North Wales, commuting along the Dee Valley at dusk and dawn, but flocks are increasingly regular farther west: 400 at Towyn and 210 over the Cefni valley in recent days.

The Bufflehead at Y Foryd since December was relocated on Anglesey’s Llyn Coron on Monday, while four Cattle Egrets remain at Porth Trwyn Mawr. Morfa Madryn, near Llanfairfechan, continues to host a Yellow-browed Warbler, Firecrest and Green-winged Teal; a male Smew remains on Llyn Alaw and a Lesser Yellowlegs on the Clwyd estuary. Counts of Purple Sandpiper increased to 21 at Cemlyn and 15 at Trearddur Bay; fewer than usual have been seen at Rhos Point this winter, perhaps finding new roosting places on the new sea-defences around Colwyn Bay.