Migrating geese put on dazzling Yorkshire display

The autumn migration is in full flow and pink footed geese - one of the easiest migratory species to spot - have arrived from the Arctic to spend the next few weeks in East Yorkshire.

Some birds will remain here for the winter whilst others will head further south to overwinter in East Anglia and the east midlands. About 360,000 individuals spend the winter in the UK, feeding on our wetland and farmland habitats.

The birds in their ‘V’ shaped formation can be heard honking noisily as they fly over in search of food. Next spring, they will return to their breeding grounds in northern Scandinavia, Greenland and Iceland.

From a distance it can be difficult to tell pink-footed geese apart from their much more widespread cousin, the greylag.

Pink-footed geese have a mostly black bill with a tell-tale pink section in the middle. The pink-footed goose is also one of our smaller geese, bigger than a mallard and smaller than a Canada goose.

Pink-footed goose by David Tipling (Image: David Tipling)

Pink-footed geese have a shorter neck, a more rounded head and shorter bill than greylag geese.

Each morning, the birds travel inland from their overnight stay on the banks of the Humber to feed and rest in the fields of the High Wolds above Pocklington and Market Weighton.

As a result, a number of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s wetland reserves are the ideal place to watch pink footed geese pass over - definitely a fantastic early-morning spectacle as the geese fly in fairly large numbers.

Wheldrake Ings

Home to big skies and amassing whirling flocks of birds in the winter months, Wheldrake Ings in the Lower Derwent valley is a wildlife haven. It has been said many times that in the centre of Wheldrake Ings it can be so peaceful and remote that you feel like the only person on earth – and yet the reserve is barely ten miles from the centre of York.

Owing to its floodplain location, Wheldrake Ings is a very good place to spot pink footed geese – and lots of other wildlife besides. The reserve is one of the key national sites for shovelers, garganeys and curlews, as well as hosting 50% of the UK breeding population of spotted crake. It’s been a good year too for breeding numbers of very rare willow tit, and particularly quiet visitors might spot a water vole or an otter.

Staveley

During the winter months, Staveley nature reserve’s watery landscape is a haven and highway for wildlife in its multitudes, often sharing winged visitors with neighbouring Ripon City Wetlands. Made up of a number of lagoons and meadows with winding paths between them, visitors to Staveley can be sure of something different every time – and a wealth of wildlife.

As well as pink footed geese, which may fly over in the early morning, Staveley is a vital breeding ground for waders. You might be lucky enough to spot wigeons, goldeneyes, snipes or shovelers, as well as roe deer, foxes and harvest mice. Staveley and neighbouring Ripon City Wetlands are also amazing places to watch starling murmurations – particularly atmospheric at dawn and dusk.

North Cave Wetlands

A true example of a 21st Century nature reserve developed in the footprint of a large sand and gravel quarry, North Cave Wetlands is really something special – not least because it is still expanding. The reserve near Brough is one of the best places in Yorkshire to watch wildlife throughout the year and pink footed geese may be spotted passing over, especially early in the morning. It also hosts a huge number of migrant birds, waders and tiny tree sparrows if you look carefully, and is well worth a visit – as is the Little Butty Bus at the entrance!

If you do go out to spot pink footed geese, make sure to spend some time taking in the beauty and calm of our wetland reserves. The UK has lost 90% of its wetland habitat through drainage and building works in the last hundred years, and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust are campaigning to conserve what we have left and ensure these unique and vital places remain protected and open for people to enjoy. You can find out more at www.ywt.org.uk/wilder-wetlands.