Brent Goose - 2019 WeBS

Brent geese were occasional visitors to Pembrokeshire before 1990, and only began to appear regularly on WeBS counts in1993-94 as shown below.

The highest numbers in any season are recorded between December and February

Almost all brent geese are seen on the Cleddau, especially at the Gann or at Angle Bay.  Just a handful are counted on the Nevern and Teifi.

As the birds commute - either in a flock, or in small groups - between the Gann and Angle Bay - it is possible that they can be double-counted at times.  However, an individual count of 77 at Angle Bay in December 2016, (and other individual counts - 68 at the Gann in 2012 and 62 at Angle Bay in 2017 - on non-WeBS days) that suggest the WeBS totals are reasonable.

Almost all birds are of the light-bellied race (hrota) - with just a handful of dark-bellied birds recorded.

Many ringed birds have been observed, and these prove movements between Ireland (main ringing station), Pembrokeshire and Brittany, and to north-east Canada (breeding grounds) via Iceland and Greenland.

AH

Pembrokeshire WeBS coordinator

Brent Goose - 1949

Branta bernicla

Winter visitor, according to Mathew "sometimes abundant," which usually appeared on Goodwick Sands at the first northerly or north-easterly gale between 29 Sept and 7 Oct.  Visits the Teifi estuary, and Milford Haven, and is seen passing at sea off Skokholm and Skomer in winter.  It has been shot at various times, but the sub-species has not been identified.

R.M.Lockley, G.C.S.Ingram, H.M.Salmon, 1949, The Birds of Pembrokeshire, The West Wales Field Society

Brent Goose - 1994

Winter visitor and passage migrant. Not recorded in June or August

Mathew (1894) assessed the Brent Goose as being a "sometimes abundant" winter visitor, that arrived between 29 September and 7 October. Brent Goose populations declined during the 1930s when their winter food plant eelgrass (Zostera marina) was decimated by disease. However, whilst on the breeding grounds they also suffered from predation by humans, which could have been a more significant reason for the decline at that time.

Following the cessation of persecution in the late 1950s the population increased and has also shown an adaptability in food choice that suggests the decline in eelgrass may not have been so critical as previously thought. By 1949 they had become an irregular visitor to Pembrokeshire. Lockley et al. (1949) noted that the subspecies occurring had not been identified. Lockley (1961) later stated that the Brent Goose was a regular visitor to the south-west peninsula of Pembrokeshire, "chiefly to Angle Bay". Up to nine still appear there in winter sometimes, and these are mainly Dark-breasted Brent Geese, subspecies bernicla. Winter occurrences elsewhere are infrequent.

The severe winter weather of 1963 saw a group of 22 Dark-breasted Brent Geese take refuge at the Gann, with another nine appearing on Manorbier beach in the freeze up of 1987. In both cases they were presumably birds displaced from further east.

Between September and December, parties of up to 39 birds on autumn passage are a regular feature, moving through coastal districts. There is a less regular and smaller spring passage, of fewer groups of up to 22 birds, in April and May. Dark-breasted Brent Geese occur, but the majority seen moving are Light-breasted Brent Geese subspecies hrota. The largest group seen to date was 48 passing through Jack Sound on 8 October 1949.

A single Dark-breasted Brent Goose was at the Gann on 17 July 1988.

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire

Brent Goose - 1980s winter atlas

The BTO winter atlas showed that Brent Geese were present in two 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The light colour, of the10km squares represents 1-15 birds seen in a day, the most in Pembrokeshire being six.

Graham Rees 

Brent Goose - 1894

Species account from M Mathew, 1894, "The Birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands"

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