Goosenews 9, 2010

Goose News The newsletter of the Goose & Swan Monitoring Programme Issue no. 9, Autumn 2010 Half a century and going strong...50 years of IGC counting Autumn 2009, saw the 50th complete census of Pink -footed and Greylag Goose populations in Britain. The history of the census provides a revealing story. In the 1930s in North America, there was considerable concern at real declines in the numbers of geese reported and, in Europe, a dramatic decline in Brent Geese had been observed. In Britain and Ireland, the status of goose populations was based l argely on local knowledge with little coordination. There were, for example, records that Bean Geese were formerly very common, and that Pink-footed Geese were uncommon, but the true status of these populations in the 1930s was poorl y known. In The status and distribution of wild geese and duck in Scotland by John Berry (1939), perhaps the first attempt to establish the status of wildfowl in that country, the author documented the then known status and distribution of geese. Through necessity, this was larg ely based on anecdotal records, although some counts were included, as systematic counting had yet to be established. The Wildfowl Count network, established in 1947 by the International Wildfowl Enquiry Committee, aimed to cover as many waterbodies (or w etlands) as possible once in each winter month (September to March) and, in 1954, WWT took over responsibility for its organisation. In order to provide a basis for conservation planning following the 1954 Protection of Birds Act, the results of the first 14 years of counts were published in Wildfowl in Great Britain by George Atkinson - Willes; this proved to be the most comprehensive survey of wildfowl habitats, stocks and prospects. However, because of their nature and habits, the Wildfowl Counts picked u p only a fraction of the total number of geese using a waterbody or wetland. Except for Brent Geese, which Greylag Goose (James Lees) could be adequately monitored on estuaries, counting of the other geese wintering in Britain needed a different approach. involved aerial survey ( e.g. Greenland Barnacle Geese) and, due to the costs involved, would only be carried out once every five Hugh Boyd, Peter Scott and others pioneered goose monitoring years. Other populations, restricted in geographical range and, by the end of the 1950s, attempts at monitoring the (Barnacle Geese on the Solway Firth, for example) were distribution and abundance of almost all of the goose counted annually with relatively few coun ters involved. But a populations wintering in Britain were well underway. Some challenge lay in the more numerous and widespread populations. Contents The first attempts at coordinated counting of Greylag and Pink- 3 Survey dates footed Geese, based largely on roost counts, began in the early 4 White-fronted and Canada Geese in west Greenland 1950s – to compliment WWT’s interest in the population 6 Survey of summering Greylag Geese in Scotland dynamics of the latter population. Geese generally fly from estuaries or inland water roosts to their feeding grounds at first 7 Counter profile light and return at the end of the day, and counters needed to 8 Progress reports be in position before dawn or dusk. The count dates nee ded to 20 Conservation and research news avoid periods of full moon when geese can feed at night. 24 Contacts continued on page 2 GooseNews 9:1 Equally important was count coordination; the counters in He’s continued to count the site since and is, as far as we know, different parts of the country needed to be active on the same the current longest serving volunteer counter (unless you know weekend in order to avoid double counting as flocks moved differently). between roosts. Goose counting can often involve arriving at a roost an hour In December 1960, Hugh published the first report on A census before dawn; no mean feat when this involves negotiating of Greylag and Pink-footed Geese in Great Britain, 12–13 November , winter roads to a remote Scottish hill loch. Some independent 1960. In it, he stated that this was the most thorough attempt goose groups have become established ( e.g. the Central Scotland yet to find out how many Greylags and Pinkfeet were in Britain. Goose Group) and their local detailed monitoring is invaluable The census was carried out by volunteers from the National in assessing counts and movements at a finer scale than the Wildfowl Counts, wildfowlers, and six dedicated mobile national monitoring can achieve. Local Area Organisers took observers to cover areas with low volunteer coverage, including on the role of coordinating local volunteers, ensuring coverage two observers in a light aircraft. The totals found were 30,000 of the most important sites. As nature reserves became Greylag and 48,000 Pink-footed Geese, and breeding success established, especially after the designation of Sites of Special that autumn was high with an estimated 45% and 31% young, Scientific Interest from the 1980s, so the monitoring of geese respectively. The highest count of Greylag Geese was from became a requirement of assessing the condition of designated Perthshire (9,140), none were recorded in Caithness or Orkney areas – thus, goose counts became part of the routine for some and 140 were found as far south as Lancashire. The highest staff and volunteers from the Royal Society for the Protection counts of Pink-footed Geese were from Dumfries (7,000), of Birds and other organisations. Several goose monitoring Perthshire (6,730), Lincolnshire (5,900) and Yorkshire (5,340). schemes in other parts of Europe have followed the example None were recorded in Norfolk and 110 were counted at set by the Greylag and Pink-footed Goose scheme. The counts Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. These make for interesting have also provided the basis for site safeguard of Pink-footed comparisons with the situation today (see page 11). Counters and Greylag Goose roosts in Britain with many sites, for involved with the first census, included Malcolm Ogilvie, example, being designated Special Protection Areas (SPAs) – a Bobby Smith (Dumfries) and Adam Watson – all still very considerable conservation success story and a lasting legacy of much active in ornithology in Scotland today. the count scheme. Our understanding of the status and distribution of both Greylag and Pink-footed Geese is much the better for the efforts of volunteer goose counters and Local Area Organisers. There has been an eleven-fold increase in Pink-footed Goose numbers from just over 30,000 birds in the early 1960s to c. 364,000 birds in 2009. There have been changes in the winter distribution too, with Norfolk now supporting a greater proportion in mid-winter than in former years. The fortunes of Greylag Geese have followed a different trajectory. Their accessibility to hunters, particularly in Iceland, has led to over 30,000 being shot annually and, during the 1990s, that level of hunting was probably unsustainable; the annual censuses indicated that the population was decreasing. However, the recent shift in winter distribution, which now sees 50–60% of the entire population wintering on Orkney, has probably Pink-footed Goose (Graham Catley) reduced the number being shot during the winter and the population appears to have recovered (see page 11). The census was a success and plans were made to repeat the counts the following autumn. Counts continued on an annual WWT are fortunate and have benefited considerably from the basis and continue to this day. By 1969, sufficient data had been efforts of large number of dedicated volunteer goose counters. collected for a review of Pink-footed Goose numbers to be The population estimates derived from monitoring over the last published in Wildfowl by Hugh and Malcolm, followed by a 50 years have largely been gathered by these volunteer counters similar publication of Greylag Goose numbers in 1972. These and their efforts have been rewarded with a far better important publications were updated in 2004, in the understanding of the distribution and abundance of geese in WWT/JNCC Waterbird Review Series which documented Britain. So, in this, the fiftieth year of the WWT Greylag and changes in the number of birds at most of the roosts in Britain Pink-footed Goose counts (now IGC – Icelandic-breeding from 1960 until 2000. Goose Census) a hearty thanks to all volunteer goose counters! In 1969, a rather young Bernie Zonfrillo made his first counts Carl Mitchell of Iceland Greylag Geese at Gadloch near Glasgow (see page 7), seemingly arriving at the site before dawn on his bicycle. GooseNews 9:2 Survey dates for 2010/11 IcelandicIcelandic––––breedingbreeding Goose Census Count forms for the 2010/11 IGC have been mailed to all counters or Local Organisers with this issue of GooseNews . If you have not received your forms, or would like to participate for the first time, please contact the Species Monitoring Unit at WWT Slimbridge. The coordinated dates for this year are: 9/10 October, 6/7 November and 4/5 December Following a review of count periods (see page 4 of GooseNews 7), please remember that, ideally, all sites supporting Pink-footed Geese should be covered during October and November, whilst those holding Greylag Geese should be counted in November and December. There are still a small number of sites where both species occur. In these cases, please try to count in all months, but if this is not possible please discuss the best way ahead with your Local Organiser, if you have one, or the National Organiser, Carl Mitchell (see page 24 for contact details). If you are unable to count on the above dates, please contact either your Local Organiser or Carl Mitchell, so that we may try to arrange for cover of your site by another counter.

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