My Saturday Bird this week is a portrait of a Greylag Goose (Anser anser).
This individual was photographed in the mid 1980s when most of the Greylag Geese in the U.K. were feral birds associating with Canada Geese and other wildfowl species. Recent population numbers for the species across Europe show a dramatic increase, possibly due to climate change affecting their migration patterns.
The bird is at “The Mere” on the edge of the town of Ellesmere in Shropshire, England in winter.
This is my contribution to the Tuesday Photo Challenge: Assemble prompt.
Snow Geese on autumn migration assemble, feed and rest up in Saskatchewan, Canada before continuing on their way south for the winter.
Riding Up on top.
This is my day 16 contribution to Becky’s January Squares on the theme of Up.
Two young Common Merganser riding Up on top of their mothers back.
My Saturday Bird this week is the Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus bewickii) and is a follow up to my Saturday Bird last week, the Whooper Swan. They are both winter visitors to the U.K.
As with the Whooper Swan there is some debate as to whether the Bewick’s Swan is a separate species or a subspecies of Tundra Swan.
Bewick’s Swans are smaller and shorter necked than Whooper Swans and have less yellow on the bill. These birds were photographed at the Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Lancashire, England.
This week my Saturday Bird is the Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) another winter visitor to the U.K.
The bird is the Eurasian counterpart of the Trumpeter Swan found in North America. Some authorities consider them the same species.
This bird was photographed at the Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Lancashire, England. It is wet because it has been dipping it head and neck underwater to feed.
Five Bewick’s Swans at dusk. Photographed at the Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Lancashire, England.
This is my day 18 contribution to Becky’s October Squares challenge on the theme of Kind.
This is my day 16 contribution to Becky’s July Squares on the theme of Perspective.
A giant setting sun with tiny wildfowl flying to roost below it. Photographed at Little Quill Lake, Saskatchewan during autumn migration.
