Record numbers of Barnacle geese stopped off in Moray yesterday for a break from their flight south.
Nearly 500 of the birds were spotted Spey Bey – a first for the region according to local Scottish Ornithologists’ Club bird recorder Martin Cook.
The birds breed mainly on the Arctic islands of the North Atlantic and winter in the Scottish borders.
Flying from Svalbard to the Solway Firth, their migration will typically bypass the north-east.
However, if the geese hit bad weather — as is the case this week — they have been known to take respite in the region.
Last night Mr Cook said the huge flock had been a sight to see.
“They spend the winter on the Solway Firth down in Dumfriesshire, but usually they fly over Moray and we don’t see any of them,” he said.
“This year they had bad weather and they just come down in the first bit of ground they hit, which is us.
“On Monday there was quite a few in Findhorn Bay, around 62, and a little later in the afternoon 260 flew past Lossiemouth.
“Now we’ve seen this mob of 490 of them in the mouth of the Spey.
“Although there have been other years when we have seen a comparable number adding together to reach that total, in terms of a single flock on the ground, 490 is far and away the largest we have ever had.”
Mr Cook said his discovery came during a period of heightened geese activity in Moray and spotters will have to be quick to see the Barnacles before they continue south.
He added: “They are obviously just building up here, and how long they will stay will depended on when the weather.
“I’m sure when the weather improves they will push off.
“There’s been a big arrival of mainly pink-footed geese in the area in the last week or so.
“Several people have been out looking with the arrival of the geese as they come in.”
The Barnacle goose is medium-sized — 22-28 inches long — with a wingspan typically between 51-57 inches and a body mass of ranging from 2.7-4.9lbs.
It has a white face and black head, neck, and upper breast. Its belly is white, while its wings and back are silver-grey with
black-and-white bars.