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VoI.15 No.2 ISSN 0036 9144 Scottish Birds The Journal of the Scottish Ornithologists' Club Editor: N. Picozzi Assisted by: N.P. Ashmole and M .A. Ogilvie. Business Editor: The Secretary, S.O.C., 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 SBT. Scottish Birds, the official journal of the Scottish Ornithologists' Club, publishes original material relating to ornithology in Scotland; papers concerned with status and distribution are particularly invited. Short notes are also accepted. Papers and short notes should be sent to The Editor, Scottish Birds,21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 SBT. Two numbers of Scottish Birds are published each year, in June and December. Scot­ tish Birds is issued free to members of the Scottish Ornithologists' Club, who also receive the quarterly newsletter Scottish Bird News. Scottish Birds and Scottish Bird News are available to non-members at a subscription rate (1988) of £30.00. For information on advertising con­ tact the Business Editor. The Scottish Ornithologists' Club was formed in 1936 to encourage all aspects of ornithology in Scotland. It has local branches which meet in Aberdeen, Ayr, the Borders, Dumfries, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, New Galloway, St Andrews, Stirling, Stranraer and Thurso, each with its own programme of field meetings and winter lectures. The Waterston Library at the Club's headquarters at 21 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 SBT is one of the most comprehensive ornithological libraries in Scotland, and is available for reference dur­ ing office hours (Monday to Friday, 9am to Spm). The SOC Bird Bookshop at Regent Ter­ race carries a large stock and can supply any Natural History book in print. Much of the business is by mail order, but personal callers are welcomed during office hours. The current catalogue is available on request. The Bird Bookshop is run by the SOC for the benefit of ornithology in Scotland. SOC annual membership subscription rates Adult ............. ...... .. .. ............................... .. ........................................... £10.00 Junior (under 18, or student under 2S) ...... ... ... .. ................... ............. .......... £4.00 Family (husband & wife, & children under 18) .......... ........ .. ......................... £14.50 Life Individual ....... ................ £200.00 Family ........... ................. ...... £300.00 Pensioner Individual .. .. ............... £6.00 Family .. .............................. ..... £8 .S0 Scottish Birds (1988) 15: 49-fJO 49 Numbers of wintering Pink-footed and Greylag Geese in north-east Scotland 1950-1986 M.V. BELL, J. DUNBAR AND J. PARKIN The status of Pink-footed and Greylag Geese in north­ east Scotland this century is described with emphasis on the large changes which have occurred since 1960. Dur­ ing this period the numbers of Pinkfeet have increased greatly at the two traditional roosts, the Loch of Strathbeg and the Meikle Loch. Up to 30% (40,000 birds) of the British wintering population may roost there. Greylag have also increased and now occupy five new roosts. North-east Scotland regularly holds up to 30% (30,000 birds) of the British wintering population of Greylag. The reasons for these changes are discussed. Introduction Pink-footed Geese Anser brochyrhynchos This paper describes the fluctuations in and Greylag Geese Anser onser have been numbers of both species since then. During wintering in north-east Scotland for many this period several new roosts have been oc­ years. The early Scottish naturalist Thomas cupied by Greylag, and the last 10 years in Edward recorded Pink feet at the Loch of particular have seen some dramatic changes. Strathbeg (Smiles 1877), but there was con­ North-east Scotland is now one of the most siderable cohfusion between this species and important areas in Britain for both Pinkfeet the Bean Goose Anser fobolis in the 19th and Greylag with up to 40,000 and 30,000 century. Pinkfeet were certainly present at respectively. Strathbeg by the turn of the century and by the late 19305 up to several thousand occur­ red here, and in the Slains area to the south Survey area in autumn (Berry 1939). However, the use The area of north-east Scotland discussed of the Loch of Strathbeg as a roost was pro­ in this paper is shown in Fig. 1. It comprises bably interrupted during both world wars. the area north of the River nee and east of In the Great War it was used as a seaplane the River Deveron, mainly the old county base and in the second war there was distur­ of Aberdeenshire including part of Kincar­ bance from the adjacent Crimond airfield. dine to the south and Banff to the north­ At the time of Berry's review of wild duck west, all now in Grampian region. This large and wild geese in Scotland, Greylag were area has very few stretches of water which stated to be present in only small numbers are suitable as goose roosts and consequently at several sites in the Dee faunal area, with large numbers of geese are concentrated in their status unchanged for many years a few sites. This has the advantage that a (Berry 1939). No quantitative information few observers can obtain a fairly complete on the wintering geese existed before the picture of the changes in numbers through Wildfowl Trust began its series of national the winter. There are two major Pinkfeet November counts of Pinkfeet in 1950 and roosts, at Loch of Strathbeg and the MeikIe Greylag in 1960. Loch/Ythan estuary, and seven Greylag 50 M. V. Bell et al. SB 15 (2) Fedderate . Reservoir Fyvie Ythan Haddo . Ho use Lake North 1 Howe of 10 km FIGURE 1. A map of north-east Scotland showing the position of the goose roosts and other places mentioned in the text, in relation to the main rivers and the coast. Pinkfeet roost at Loch of Strathbeg and the Meikle Loch, and Creylag roost at the Loch of Strathbeg, Fedderate Reservoir, Haddo House Lake, the Slains Lochs, Corby Loch, Loch of Skene and the Dinnet Lochs. roosts, at Loch of Strathbeg, Loch of roosts are at Loch Spynie near Elgin (82 km Skene, Lochs Davan and Kinord (collectively west of Strathbeg) and in Strathmore (Per­ the Dinnet Lochs), Haddo House, Corby thshire and Angus), 50 km to the south of Loch, the Slains Lochs and Fedderate the Dinnet Lochs. Reservoir. The roosts in north-east Scotland are well separated from the other wintering areas for both species. There are no major Methods Pinkfoot sites to the north and the nearest Experienced observers familiar with particular roost to the south is the Montrose Basin (77 sites counted geese arriving at or leaving the km SSW of the Ythan estuary), which is roosts. Long runs of data were available from the regaining its former importance since the same few observers for most roosts. The national November count data were Scottish Wildlife Trust established a reserve taken from Boyd & Ogilvie (1969, 1972), Ogilvie there in 1981. There are major concentra­ & Boyd (1976), from the annual reports of the tions of Greylag in Caithness, Easter Ross Wildfowl Trust and from Or M.A. Ogilvie (pers. and along the Moray Firth. The nearest comm.). 1988 Geese in NE Scotland 51 Agricultural statistics on cropping regimes 30 were obtained from the Scottish Records Office for selected Aberdeenshire parishes and years 25 since 1960. The parishes of Crimond, Lonrnay o and St Fergus were taken as representative of the o feeding areas used by the geese from Strathbeg; ~ 20 those of Slains, Logie-Buchan and Foveran for X the geese from Meikle; Methlick and Meldrum a; 15 for the geese from Haddo; Kinellar and Skene for ~ the geese from Skene and Lumphanan, and .>I. C 10 Leochel-Cushnie for the geese from Dinnet. The a: years 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1982 and 1984 were taken to give a spread over the 5 period since north-east Scotland became of ma­ jor importance for wintering geese. o ~L____ ~ __~ __~ __~ ____~ __~ 1954155 60161 65/66 70/71 75/76 00181 85/86 Results o 10 Buchan o Loch of Strathbeg Of the two goose roosts in X 5 Buchan, the Loch of Strathbeg qualifies as a site of international importance for ducks, geese and Cl swans. The loch is large (220 ha), shallow, rather ~ 0 ~==____ ~ __~ __~ __~ ____~ __~ exposed and within 500 m of the sea. It is a dif­ l!? 1954/55 00161 65/86 70/71 75/76 00181 85/86 ficult roost to count because of its size. Since the Cl Winter RSPB reserve was established in 1973 most of the FIGURE 2. The average monthly count and geese have roosted at the sheltered north-west end maximum count of Pinlcfeet and Grey/ag at Loch of the loch in the peninsula area which is relatively of Strathbeg each winter from the 1954/55 - undisturbed by wildfowlers. 1986187 winters. There is a run of monthly counts at Strathbeg since the mid-1950s. Fig. 2 shows the winter max­ with 27,900 in October 1985 and 29,800 in Oc­ imum and average mid-monthly count (October tober 1986. Over 10,000 were also present in the to March up to 1973, October to April since 1973) springs of 1985, 1986 and 1987. for both Pink feet and Greylag at Loch of Strathbeg since the 1954/55 winter. Table 1 shows Fedderate Reservoir The small flock of Greylag the average mid-monthly counts for seven con­ at Fedderate Reservoir has been counted in venient periods from 1954/55 to 1986/87 and the November and March since 1977 but it is not clear maximum count within each period. Until the when the site was first occupied (John Edelsten 1963/64 winter numbers of both species were low, pers. comm.). This small water (c. \0 ha) is easi­ with Pinkfeet slightly the more numerous.

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