White-fronted Goose

Update

Tony Fox of the Greenland White-fronted Goose Study Group has kindly provided the following additional details concerning the colour-ringed bird seen on Lundy from 23 to 30 October (note that the Lundy individual was marked at Wexford Slobs, Ireland, in November 1991, with an orange neck-collar and a white darvic leg-ring, both bearing the letters OXK):

"0XK was an adult female caught with two other adult females, 0XH and 9XK, which stayed together in winter 1991/92 at Wexford after their capture with four unringed birds that they were clearly related to but which escaped capture. Interestingly, 9XK did not make it back to Wexford in winter 1992/93 (as 0XH did), but it was seen at Hvanneyri in west Iceland in October 1993 and appeared at Wexford in winters 1993/94 to 1995/96, moving to Loch Foyle in Northern Ireland in winter 1996/97, after which it was not seen again on the winter quarters. 9XK was seen at Hvanneyri in spring and autumn 1996, and was last seen in spring 1997 at Borgurtun on the south coast of Iceland in April 1997, before being found long dead at in Vestur Barðastrandar, in the north-west corner of Iceland, on 15 September 1997. 0XH was not seen 1993/94 but was seen on Islay in winters 1994/95 and 1995/96 and was back at Wexford in 1999/2000, not being seen after that. 0XK of course made it back to Wexford in winter 1992/93 but did not associate with 0XH that year (or subsequently), but it had got back together with 9XK when they returned in winter 1993/94 and again in 1994/95. 0XK continued to be seen every winter from then until 1999/2000, apparently returning with a single gosling and its unringed mate in 1997, the only time it was suspected of breeding. Strangely, it was not seen in 2000/2001, and the very last sight record was 31 March 2002 at Wexford before it was reported shot on 22 November 2003 at a farm called Vallnatun, Eyjafjoll in Rangarvallasysla, southern Iceland (63° 33′N, 19° 48′W) - a rather sad end to the story."

New record

3 Nov – A flock of between ten and 15 birds (not seen well-enough to identify to race) flew over the farmyard (G. Sherman et al.). The 20th LFS record and the first since Oct 2003. Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

30 Oct – Five flying down the East Side turned and appeared to drop down over the Airfield. All were adults, but could not be assigned to race (Andy Jayne). Andy was leaving the island on a helicopter flight that morning and didn't have time to go up the island to try and locate the birds on the ground. This constitutes the 21st LFS record; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

27 Oct – Eight birds of the Greenland-breeding sub-species Anser albifrons flavirostris were present on 27 Oct. First seen grazing on the Airfield at about 09.00, they were in flight over the Village at 13.30, then landing briefly in Tent Field before heading north again (Dean Jones et al.). The 22nd LFS record; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

NB A distant flock of six unidentified grey geese, thought probably to be either Pink-footed or White-fronted, flew north off the East Side on 26 Oct (Andy Jayne), and a flock of 15 grey geese flew north at about 08.30 on 27 Oct (Paul Holt).

New record

26 Jan to 8 Feb – Three adults of the Greenland-breeding sub-species Anser albifrons flavirostris were on the Airfield and adjacent parts of Ackland's Moor (Dean Jones et al.). The 23rd LFS record; accepted by Devon Bird Recorder.

New record

23 to 31 Dec – An adult of the Russian-breeding nominate race A. a albifrons 'European White-fronted Goose' that arrived on 23^rd was seen amidst very murky conditions during the morning in company with the Pink-footed Goose in Tent Field, and in much better light in Brick Field later in the day. It was still present on 31^st and, like the Pink-footed Goose with which it continued to keep company, remained into 2022 (Stuart Cossey).

Record accepted by Devon Bird Recorder; the 24th for Lundy.

New record (of a sort)

1 Jan – The bird from the end of Dec 2021 remained until New Year's Day (together with the Pink-footed Goose), but couldn't be found on 2nd (Stuart Cossey).