My first sight of a skein of geese..

[loripo]

Sorry but I had to share I've never seen them flying in perfect Peter Scott formation before, just the odd one or two. They were flying across the sunset going west along the Thames. Then shortly after another going north towards the Wembley Arch which I can see about a quarter of on the northern skyline. So beautiful it brought tears to my eyes.

[ron1863]

It's a lovely site and one I am lucky to see often, as we seem to be on their flight path to feeding grounds and water

[aeshna5]

Always a great sight to see. Your geese will have been feral Canadas or possibly Greylag, both of which are common in London, though the former is more widespread. Much maligned birds but good to see such a wild sight in a built up area.

I was up at Cley today + a helicopter put up the geese + we were treated to c300 Greylag flighting towards us.

[loripo]

Yes we have both in the local parks, and we're not far - as the goose flies- from the Wetlands centre at Barnes. They have the beautiful red fronted ones there sand I saw quite a few of the Bar headed geese at Kew recently.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by loripo

Yes we have both in the local parks, and we're not far - as the goose flies- from the Wetlands centre at Barnes. They have the beautiful red fronted ones there sand I saw quite a few of the Bar headed geese at Kew recently.

The Red-breasted Geese are beautiful- though those at LWC are pinioned so won't be flying anywhere. The Bar-headed Geese should also be pinioned, but I know some of the flock at Kew are fully winged so do occasionally move around- some have turned up at LWC occasionally.

[loripo]

I've seen the Red breasted and Bar headed in St James's Park. I thought only the pelicans were pinioned there. How do you refer to pinioned birds - captive?

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by loripo

I've seen the Red breasted and Bar headed in St James's Park. I thought only the pelicans were pinioned there. How do you refer to pinioned birds - captive?

By law any non-native waterbird is required to be pinioned in an open situation to prevent them escaping + becoming a potential problem species, such as the furore over Ruddy Ducks. In practice this doesn't always happen, but certainly in St. James Park most of the exotics are pinioned- some of the birds are quite expensive, so you don't want them to fly off + never be seen again.

Pinioning is the removal of the pinion on one wing which virtually renders the bird flightless.

I visited Kew today + there were 3 adult + 5 juv. Bar-headed Geese on the Palm House Lake + all were fully winged.

[loripo]

Thanks - I hadnt realised that it was the law. I read up on the ones I'd seen in Regents Park, those are 'segregated' at one end of the lake. They obviously wouldnt stay put unless pinioned.
I saw the Bar headed ones in that same place, happily resting with some Canadas and two Egyptian geese.