Fight or flight

You are standing at the edge of a vast river estuary. To your right you can see the small seaside village of Findhorn; to your left you can make out the distant mountains of the Highlands. Directly behind you is a wooden birdwatching pavilion slowly falling into disrepair.
It’s a cold winter morning and a low mist is hovering over the surrounding salt marsh. The mournful cries of curlews and oystercatchers stand out from the incessant murmur of thousands of pinkfooted geese further out, which appear as a mass of swirling grey. Having spent the night roosting on the mudflats, the birds are taking a while to warm up. Their calls are at first muted and staccato, with the occasional louder ‘wink’ echoing through the melee. As the sun climbs higher, the light creeps across the nearby airfield and gradually the hubbub crescendos into a flurry of feathers and noisy calls.
A ripple moves through the flock, and the birds prepare to move. One or two skeins take to the air and circle once or twice in preparation for their forthcoming flight. When they are sufficiently warmed by the sun, they lift off, line after line, calling to each other as they go, in a breathtaking natural spectacle.
Then, there’s the unmistakeable sound of a gunshot.
Around the bay, along the high-water line, is a series of small camouflage screens. Behind each is a wildfowler with a shotgun. They have been in position since 5am, and as the geese take off, they can finally attempt to claim their prize. A series of shots rings out, but it’s difficult to see if any birds are hit because of the enormity of the flock.
この記事は BBC Wildlife の Spring 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は BBC Wildlife の Spring 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン

JAWS 50 THE LEGACY
Half a century after a great white shark terrified cinemagoers, we hunt down the lasting impacts of Spielberg's blockbuster

PRIMAL SCREAM
A wildly unusual bird call shatters the peace of a tropical dawn

Find more birds more of the time with multi-spectrum binoculars from HIKMICRO
Find more birds more of the time with multi-spectrum binoculars from HIKMICRO

Losing touch with reality
As AI becomes increasingly powerful, what does it mean for the wildlife images we see?

Bongos have come home
The secretive antelope is hoping for better times in Kenya

Do animals get stressed?
We often think of stress as a bad thing, but it has evolved to protect us. When we find ourselves in life-threatening situations, our bodies prepare to fight or run.

Secrets of the Penguins
New series for National Geographic offers unprecedented insight

How I learned to speak wolf
Deep in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley, George Bumann develops a sense of what wolves' howls can mean

Which animal has the longest tail?
STRICTLY SPEAKING, THE TAIL-LIKE structures found in everything from scorpions to mayflies are not true tails. Only vertebrates – animals with a spine – are genuine tail-owners. And among vertebrates, tails are really common.

Lesser goldfinches are moving north
Warmer temperatures are leading these irrepressible golden-hued birds to expand their range in the USA