Pink-footed Geese at Marshside

When they arrive

The first skeins appear in mid-September, usually in small groups. Numbers build steadily through October and peak between late October and late November. The birds use the Ribble Estuary as a roost site and feed on the surrounding arable fields — sugar beet tops, winter stubble, potato fields.

By December numbers often drop slightly as some birds move further south in hard weather. In mild winters, good numbers stay into March. The last birds tend to leave for Iceland in late March or early April.

Where to see them

The sea wall at Marshside RSPB (PR9 9PH) is the best viewpoint. The geese roost on the estuary and flight out to the fields at dawn — stand on the wall at first light in October and you'll hear them before you see them. The calling builds from a murmur to something that fills the sky.

Evening flighting is equally good — watch from the same spot an hour before dusk as the birds come back onto the estuary. In the right light it's unforgettable.

The fields around Southport and Crossens hold feeding flocks during the day. You can often see birds from the road — look for large brown geese in ploughed or stubble fields, usually in flocks of hundreds.

Identification

Pink-footed Geese are medium-sized, brown-grey geese with a short neck and round head. The key features are the pink bill with a dark base, and pink legs — distinctive from the larger Greylag (orange-pink bill, orange legs) and the Canada Goose (entirely different shape and colouring).

In flight, the wings show a blue-grey forewing panel. The call is a nasal 'wink-wink' or 'ung-ung' — once you know it, you'll hear it from a considerable distance.

Photography tips

The best light for photography is morning, with the low sun behind you on the sea wall. The birds are backlit in the evening but evening flighting can still produce dramatic silhouette shots.

A 400mm lens is a minimum for flight shots; 500-600mm for reasonable frame-filling. Mirrorless cameras with fast autofocus tracking have made goose flight photography much more accessible. That said, even a decent phone can capture the spectacle of thousands of birds in the sky.

Don't push towards the flocks on the fields. They'll flush, which stresses the birds and ruins the experience for other observers. The sea wall gives you everything you need.