News update

Brian Minshull returned safe after his trip to see the bean geese in Norway. He and Simon Rix the Oslo Birder (picture below) spent two days hunting down the Slamannan flock. Unfortunately by early April most of our birds had gone north to Sweden but they managed to trace some of our birds well to the north of Oslo. (see picture below)

Brian had a great tale to tell of birding in Norway and something that anyone can do with the help of Simon Rix who specialises in bird guiding trips (see oslobirder.blogspot.co.uk) for more information .

Whilst I was sunning myself in Puerto Pollensa, Brian and Simon were trudging around in rain and even snow hunting such species as Hazel Hen and Tengmalm's Owl plus many other northern species.

Bean Geese north of Oslo

Simon Rix

News Update on Tag06 13th April 2014

Tag06 has now moved into the bean geese breeding area in Sweden. It can now probably be assumed that all of the Slamannan flock are on their breeding territories.

Brian Minshull has returned from his trip to see the bean geese in Norway. More on this topic when I get an opportunity to speak to him on his experience of birding with Simon Rix.

Fresh Update on Tag 06 and 07

Fresh news in recently would indicate that our bean geese have moved north from their previous feeding and roosting area north east of Oslo.

Simon the Oslo birder is of course in Eilat Israel enjoying a birding break in the sunshine. Check out his blog (oslobirder.blogspot.co.uk) to see what he is doing.

He is probably wondering about the bean goose flock also and what they are up to.

News from Simon Rix in Oslo

Simon has had a busy day in and around the Glomma River trying to count and read neck collars on the Slamannan flock of taiga bean geese.

His blog (oslobirder.blogspot.co.uk) gives a very good account of his activities and he has produced some lovely pictures of the birds he has been seeing.

Tag 06 has arrived from Sweden to join the flock but it is not always easy to find him. I attach a picture of it when caught for ringing.

News from Sweden today

Had an email from Ulf Skyllberg in Sweden today and he informs me that a flock of around 110/15 bean geese have been seen south west of Karlstad and some have neck collars relating to the Slamannan flock.

He also says that locals have been looking at a flock of bean geese over many years at this location so it would appear that we now have two staging posts outwith Denmark.

We now have the bean goose website updated by Carl Mitchell so super to see the migration routes of Tag06 and tag07 and all the others who have accompanied them

I love the pictures taken by Simon of the bean geese north east of Oslo. See Oslobirder.blogspot.co.uk

Fresh news update from Norway

We have news in today that Simon and a friend Thomas have been out looking at the bean goose flock NE of Oslo nr the Glomma River.

They counted 151 bean geese during a 2 hour observation and managed to count 9 collars plus what we think would be Tag07 with his juvenile family.

We have in place a super communication system with Larry Griffin (WWT) sending out fresh download information to Simon (Oslo Birder) so that he can chase about looking for the geese.

Below is a new picture taken recently in Denmark courtesy of Larry Griffin (WWT)  of the Slamannan flock feeding in a winter grain crop.

News update from Simon in Oslo

Reading Simon's blog reminds me of what we face here in central Scotland during the wintering period that the bean geese are here.

He is searching known fields and finding nothing and then by chance or GPS information locates the bean geese in new fields.

In his recent post I particularly like his shot (picture) of the bean geese in the middle of a bog area where they are resting/loafing which is so familiar to us here in Scotland.

Tag06 seems still to be in Denmark so whether he is still on his own or has now joined up with some others time will tell.