Are the Wintering Geese Back Already? (No, but the Turnstones are!)

You could hardly have failed to miss the skeins of geese over Nairn over the passed few weeks, with many people asking the question, are the wintering geese were returning already?  Well, the short answer is no.  I believe the geese we are seeing now are the local population of Greylags that have been breeding around here over the summer.  You may remember a post from June where I talked about families of Greylag on Lochindorb.  Well it is probably these same birds that are now flying overhead and roosting off the Old Bar.  Some of them might be part of the local resident Greylags, whilst others will be building up strength for the journey south in the next month or so. 

From what I can tell, the wintering Pinkfoot Geese will be starting to arrive here on 20th September, and a couple of weeks later we should start seeing the migratory Greylags and Brent, along with a spattering of other species.

As for the Turnstones: we were down at the harbour today (with hoards of other people lapping up the sunshine and warmth) and we heard flocks of Redshanks and Turnstones calling from the harbour wall - the area where they can always be seen in the winter whilst they wait for the tide to turn so they can go for a feed.  We do have a few Redshanks that stay here over the summer, but these numbers grow along with the Turnstones returning in the winter, as they congregate around the harbour and give me something to observe in the cold!
This is a phot from earlier in the year down on the River. 

The Turnstones plumage changes radically over the summer, and the birds currently here now are still showing some of the breeding plummage; I will try to capture a photo in the next few days and post it here to show you the differences.

Cheers.

And then there were eight - or is it nine?!

The Goosanders really are back in larger numbers (relatively, for here anyway). Eight of them have grouped around the Island near the head of the river. I saw a lone one out at sea near the golf course: it was well into its eclipse stage and looked very scraggy. So is this nine I wonder?

Also at sea yesterday was a brilliantly coloured Eider Duck; its yellow throat very prominent. A cormorant fished close to a Great Black Back Gull as a Dolphin sauntered by, to the excitement of a couple standing lose to me, wondering what I was looking at.

As usual, the harbour wall at high tide was full of Redshanks and Turnstones. Up to 150 of the former and about 10 Turnstones. It is odd how big they look when standing around in a group. When I observe them feeding on the waters edge along with other waders they look much smaller. It must be the combination of light and shade, and the proximity of larger waders to tower over them.



By the way, I said that the Martins have been blown away last week: well I saw two more over my house on Sunday (26th September). So they haven’t given up just yet. I also said how quiet the Great Tits have been; the Robins are making up for it though! They are all over town, singing there hearts out with their sad lament. We have one that uses our next door neighbours roof as a singing perch; and what a noise! First thing in the morning through to last thing at night, well into the dark, he sings and sings, and sings, and sings……!