Dumfriesshire reserve hopes for many happy returns

Barnacle geese numbers could be better than ever for over-wintering at WWT Caerlaverock after spectre of Avian Influenza over

Dumfriesshire’s WWT Caerlaverock staff are waiting for the first barnacle geese arriving from the faraway Norwegian islands of Svalbard.

And fingers are crossed that this year’s population over-wintering on the reserve near Dumfries will be higher than its pre-Avian Influenza outbreak level.

Now on the cusp of the third winter since the devastating AI of 2021/22, the barnacle geese have had two of their most successful breeding seasons ever and their population has almost recovered to its pre-Avian Influenza level, so WWT Caerlaverock could be in for a good showing.

David Pickett, site manager at WWT Caerlaverock says: “That winter of bird flu in the geese was pretty tough but it is amazing how nature can recover and it is so good to see large numbers of these striking geese back around the Solway. WWT Caerlaverock was first established over 50 years ago as a refuge for barnacle geese and it is still a great place to see them for your annual barnacle goose fix.”

Before the Avian Influenza outbreak, there were approximately 40,000 barnacle geese that spent their summers in Svalbard, Norway, and then their winters on the Solway estuary with the reserve one of the key sites they are seen in the autumn and winter months.

Sadly, in November 2021, the WWT staff began to notice dead barnacle geese on the reserve and after testing, discovered it was Avian Influenza.

WWT Caerlaverock became the first site to record a Svalbard barnacle goose death from Avian Influenza and by the end of the 2021/22 winter, over 10,00 dead geese were counted at WWT Caerlaverock and the population of Svalbard barnacle geese had dropped by about 30 per cent to under 28,000.

Mr Pickett readily admit that “monitoring the progression of the disease in these popular and much-loved birds proved to be tough for staff” as they were faced with the numbers of dead birds quickly building up across the reserve and all along the Solway coast.

The geese migrate the 2,000 miles to WWT Caerlaverock because of the food available, safe roosting sites and the offer of better weather than Norway. They forage on the saltmarsh and agricultural farmland nearby and use the mudflats of the merse to roost at night time. The barnacle geese usually stay on the Solway coast until April.

NatureScot will be organising the population counts around the Solway this winter and its south operations manager, Stuart Graham, said: “After the devastating impact of avian flu, it’s heartening to learn that the barnacle geese are showing signs of recovery while making good use of the habitat available to them at WWT Caerlaverock. We are optimistic that their continued recovery will be reflected in this year’s population counts.”

If you want to see the barnacle geese this winter, WWT Caerlaverock is celebrating them with a week of guided walks, workshops and other family friendly activities as part of the popular Wild Goose Festival in and around Dumfries which is being held from October 18 to 27. The barnacle geese will be on the Solway coast until April.

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