Our group visit to Sweden and Norway went well with no hitches in our travel arrangements or accommodation.
The bean geese behaved well too with our first visit near Saffle on 3 Sep with our host Dan Mangsbo who has been monitoring the geese in Sweden for many years.
After a drive of about 15 mins we arrived in an agricultural area with surrounding woodlands which gave us some cover to view the geese some few hundred meters away. The count flock of bean geese was 193 with approximately 200 Canada Geese close by in the same area. We were able to read collars, X3 and V6. Nice too was to note approximately 18 juveniles.
After about 15 minutes we left this first stop to go to Lake Brosjon (see map below) where Dan expected the birds would fly in at about 9.45am.
Lake Brosjon is a super wetland area which is well used by migrating birds. Also in attendance was a Sea Eagle who was also there to keep a check on what the geese were doing.
Bang on 9.45 all of the geese flew into the lake with both flocks birds keeping there own natural distance on landing on the water. We stayed in this area for about one and half hours before retiring to a nearby cafe for lunch. It was really good that Dan was able to come and meet us and establish a good rapport for the future. (see photos below).
On leaving Saffle we drove 192 kms taking us 2hrs 37mins to Arns in Norway so to be in easy reach of meeting up with Simon Rix (The Oslo Birder), who we were to meet the following day.
Dawn broke on the 4th and after breakfast set off to meet up with Simon our taiga bean goose man in Norway. Simon arrived on time and we soon set off to nearby Neskollen to view the bean geese who were in the area.
A flock of 95 birds were in a stubble field a few hundred meters from the roadside. With them were 10 Canada Geese. We managed to read collars 5, 27 and V8, all birds previously caught and ringed in Scotland. The weather which up till now had been good suddenly changed with heavy rain making it difficult to scope the birds. We didn't linger long and soon departed to a warm place for coffee. Great to meet up with Simon again and reinforce our working relationship. (see pic below)
left to right, Carl Mitchell, Rick Goater, Dan Mangsbo, Angus Maciver, Brian Minshull
Simon Rix and Angus Maciver
