THE almost constant north-westerly winds have continued to block the migration of small species from Scandinavia but have proved wonderful for Arctic geese moving from Iceland to wintering areas in Britain. With good tail-winds, pink-footed and barnacle geese must have had a very easy North Atlantic crossing to Scotland and then down into England.

The sight and sound of passing geese is always a feature of early October. Large numbers have been passing though the region, usually first noticeable by their far-carrying calls. Several times I’ve heard pink-feet and had to search hard for them against the almost dazzling blue skies as skeins have moved over at very high altitude. The barnacle geese have been a bit easier, coming through in typical low ragged flocks with their strange yapping calls like a pack of small excited dogs.

Some pink-feet will remain to winter in the region, particularly in the favoured area at Druridge Bay with others regularly roosting at Lindisfarne. Most will continue to East Anglia, attracted by the highly nutritious sugar beet stubbles. Most of the barnacle geese will quickly move to the Solway where over 7,000 were already present this week and increasing by the day. However, some are likely to remain in a new wintering area which has developed in recent years around Budle Bay. Over 1,000 were there last winter.

Both species are rather misnamed. The pink feet of the former are just about their least noticeable feature, particularly while feeding on meadows. Their dark head are a much better and more visible clue to their identity. Barnacle geese got their name because of an old belief, ridiculous as it now sounds, that they hatched from marine crustaceans clinging to the bottoms of wooden boats and to floating timber. Early medieval naturalists even claimed to have watched their strange births. It was a myth which persisted until their Arctic breeding grounds were discovered in the late 19th Century. It was then finally established that these attractive geese in their black, while and silvery grey plumage, hatched from eggs, just like all other birds. But the name has stuck.

In those prevailing westerly conditions few smaller rare migrants have appeared. Exceptions were wrynecks at Whitburn Steel and the Farne Islands. A hoopoe found by one lucky observer on Holy Island stayed just long enough for him to rattle of a series of photographs. A few more uncommon seabirds have appeared with a little run of velvet scoters and a Leach’s storm petrel and Sabine’s gull were the best sightings off Whitburn.