Anser brachyrhynchus
Stand in the right place on a winter’s morning as they fly out to their feeding grounds, or when they return to their roosts for the night, and you’ll probably hear them coming long before you see them. Initially, it will be just a distant murmur, then it grows into a faint crackling and clamoring that signals that the geese are on the move.
At first, it may only be a small advance party of a few birds that pass overhead and you can hear the wink-wink wink call of individuals, but before you know it the sky is filled by V-shaped skein after skein, the sound filling the air, as hundreds, perhaps thousands, of birds stream past. It’s an emotional experience and one of the world’s great wildlife spectacles; the noise is overwhelming and the sight incredible. All too soon the show is over and the silence that descends is almost as dramatic as the sound of their passing.
High numbers
In Norfolk alone, the numbers of overwintering pink-footed geese have been estimated to be as high as 70,000, while overall the British population is reckoned to be in the region of some 360,000 birds and represents our most abundant goose species. Although only about 50,000 visited​ Britain to overwinter in the 1950s, increased protection has helped to ensure that numbers have risen to their present levels.
Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Sporting Gun.
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Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Sporting Gun.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Thermal spectrum
Paul Austin explores both ends of the thermal market with latest high-end release from Zeiss alongside a surprising entry-level offering from Xinfrared
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Gundogs Q&A
No problem goes unsolved as Sporting Gun puts your questions to the gundog experts
Stop-start!
Fran Ardley continues her training tips on disciplining your dog to the stop whistle and the exercises you need to do
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Organising the Game Fair's prestigious gundog competitions: behind-the-scenes with Francesca Prentice