17 minute read
Duck, duck, goose! − The
Duck, duck, goose!
Now is the time to discover the wonderful world of winter wildfowl, says Tom Hibbert of The Wildlife Trusts
f you’ve visited a lake or a
Iwatery nature reserve or park recently, you might have noticed that there are a lot more ducks and geese around than there were in the summer.
In fact, hundreds of thousands of extra ducks, geese and swans travel to the UK each autumn, ready to spend the winter here.
But why are these birds arriving just as the weather turns cold?
Well, our winters might seem chilly to us, but compared to the places these birds come from, the UK is like a tropical retreat! Our winter visitors come from places even farther north, like Greenland, the Russian tundra or Svalbard – a group of Arctic islands home to reindeer and polar bears. During the winter, these places experience freezing temperatures and long hours of darkness. Many lakes and waterbodies freeze over, making it hard for waterbirds to find food. So the birds have to leave and travel south to find somewhere a bit warmer. This journey is known as migration.
Luckily for us, many ducks, geese and swans choose the UK for their winter getaway, as our winters are much milder. These birds might have travelled thousands of miles to spend the winter hanging out on a Scottish shore, an English estuary or a Welsh wetland. It’s amazing to think about the things they must have seen on their way here.
Flock of ducks (mostly wigeon) © Nick Upton/2020VISION
Flock together
Wildfowl are very sociable birds. In many species, families stick together as they migrate, with the
young birds following their parents. Lots of these family groups can join up to form large flocks.
Some of the most spectacular flocks seen in the UK are of pink-footed geese, which travel in groups made up of hundreds of birds. They arrive in late September and October, filling the air with their loud, squeaking honks as they fly in neat V-shaped flocks.
This V-shape is very important, because it helps the flock to save energy on longdistance flights. The bird at the front of the V does the most work, breaking up the air in front of it. The air swirls around the front bird and the birds just behind it on the left and right get a little boost of lift from that air, so they don’t have to flap as hard to stay up.
After a while, the front bird will drop back and another will take over, giving the previous leader a chance to rest. The reason that flocks like this are so noisy is because they are constantly communicating to make sure they stay together in perfect formation.
Pink-footed geese
© David Tipling/2020VISION
Changing with the climate
We know that our world is changing quickly because of the climate crisis. One of the effects in the UK is an increase in milder winters, which aren’t as cold. This is likely to have an impact on the birds that travel here for winter, as it may mean they don’t need to travel as far from their northern breeding grounds to find a suitable place to spend the winter. In milder winters, they can find unfrozen lakes closer to their summer homes, so don’t need to use up energy flying all the way to the UK or even further south in Europe.
Scientists have already seen changes in the locations some of our visiting ducks spend the winter at, including the tufted duck – a handsome black and white bird you’ll see in many local parks. They noticed that in the last 30 years, these birds haven’t been travelling as far for the winter, with more of them choosing to stop in northern Europe, in countries like Finland and Sweden. If winters continue to get warmer, we might see even fewer ducks and other waterbirds making the journey across the North Sea.
Make it count
The UK is home to internationally important numbers of ducks, geese and swans, so it’s important that we keep track of the number of birds that visit us. Volunteers regularly count all the waterbirds they can see at their local wetland, but counting large flocks isn’t easy. One trick is to count a small number of them, like 20, then estimate how many groups of that size there are in the whole flock. Or, if you have a camera, you can take a photo and then count all the birds in the image – it’s a lot easier when they don’t move around! Why don’t you give it a try next time you visit your local lake?
Whooper swan
©Danny Green/2020VISION
WHICH WILDFOWL WILL I SEE
There are lots of ducks, geese and swans to look out for in winter. Some like to swim around on flooded fields or deep lakes, while others like to graze on farmland or muddy coasts. Here are just a few of our wonderful wildfowl to look out for this winter:
Swans
Whooper swan - You’ve probably seen mute swans before, as they live here all year, but have you ever seen a whooper swan? These winter visitors have the same bright white feathers, but their beak is black and yellow instead of orange. They are named for their loud, whooping calls, which can often be heard as flocks fly overhead. Most of the whooper swans we see come from Iceland, crossing hundreds of miles of ocean to reach us. The similar Bewick’s swan is a less common visitor, with much less yellow on the beak.
Pink-footed goose ©David Tipling/2020VISION
Geese
Pink-footed goose
- These noisy geese are one of our most abundant visitors, with almost 500,000 of them counted last winter! They’re grey and brown with a pink patch on their beak, and bright pink legs and feet, which give them their name.
Our pink-footed geese come from Iceland and Greenland, arriving here in late September and October. Some of the best spots to see them are in Scotland, Northern England and down the East coast. If you visit a favourite roosting spot at dawn or dusk, you can see thousands of them flying overhead as they travel between the wetlands where they sleep and the fields where they feed.
Brent goose - These tiny geese are barely bigger than mallards, with a black head and neck, a dusky grey body and a bright white bottom. Brent geese travel here from the Arctic coasts of Russia, from Svalbard and Greenland, and from Canada. Unlike most geese, you’re only likely to see them by the sea, where they hunt for food on estuaries, salt marshes and muddy bays. Large flocks can be seen in Southeast England, Northumberland and Northern Ireland.
Barnacle goose - With Barnacle geese their pale-grey © David Tipling/ bodies, black 2020VISION necks and bright white faces, these pretty geese stand out in a crowd. Each autumn, large numbers of barnacle geese travel from Svalbard and Greenland to spend the winter in the northwest of the UK and Ireland. However, there are also some barnacle geese that live in Britain all year, descended from birds that escaped from wildfowl collections. You might see these birds mixed in with flocks of greylag or Canada geese.
Ducks
Shoveler - What’s that duck with a huge, spade-like beak? It’s a shoveler, of course! These big-billed birds can be seen in the UK all year, but are much more common in winter when thousands arrive from northern Europe. They’re often seen on shallow lakes and marshes with
lots of open water. You might even spot small flocks swimming in a synchronised circle, stirring up invertebrates to feed on.
Wigeon - Large flocks of these delightful ducks spend the winter in the UK, gathering at old gravel pits, flooded meadows and other wetland habitats. They often climb out of the water to feed on the grassy banks. They’re plump-looking birds, with a large round head and short bluegrey beak. Females are shades of brown, but males are mostly grey with a chestnut head and a creamy-yellow patch on their forehead.
Teal - Teal are tiny – in fact, they’re our smallest duck. Around 2,000 pairs of teal nest in the UK in summer, but in winter, hundreds of thousands of them arrive from colder countries. Teal can be seen on almost any wetland, but their favourite spots are shallow waters with muddy edges. They can form very large flocks.
Goldeneye drake ©Fergus Gill//2020VISION
Goldeneye - Gaze into the glowing eye of a goldeneye and it’s easy to see how they got their name. These dainty diving ducks nest in small numbers in Scotland, but in winter they can be seen on wetlands across the UK, often on deep lakes. They spend a lot of time underwater, diving down for food, so getting a good look at them can take a bit of patience. If you’re lucky, you may spot a male showing off to a female. He throws his head back, splashes with his feet and makes a loud croaking call.
Discover The Wildlife Trusts’ favourite spots for seeing winter wildfowl by visiting: wildlifetrusts.org/
wintering-wildfowl
Teal drake
© Nick Upton/ 2020VISION
JOIN THE
ADVERTISEMENT
AT THE DIRT IS GOOD ACADEMY, YOU CAN CREATE A COOL AVATAR LIKE ME! WHAT WILL YOURS LOOK LIKE?!
Hey there kids!
Do you have a passion for caring for the planet? Great, then you’re in the right place! By joining our Dirt Is Good Academy, you and thousands of other kids will be able to complete cool challenges to help understand how to tackle some of the biggest issues facing our planet today. So roll up your sleeves, get stuck in and become a Changemaker today – it’s never been easier or more fun!
This is your online mission dashboard! Tick off challenges as you go...
start here MISSION 1 speedy SUMMARY
Earth’s temperature has been steadily rising – something called global warming. It’s come about through human activities like burning fossil fuels and habitat destruction and led to extreme weather like floods and forest fires. But by using renewable energy from the wind and sun, protecting and restoring natural habitats and living more sustainably – doing things like recycling and reusing – we can help stop global warming.
CLIMATE CHALLENGEs
What can I do, you ask? Great question. The simplest things can make a big difference
Why not try recycling or checking that your favourite things are made with recyclable packaging to help reduce waste? Turn plugs off at their sockets and lights off in rooms not being used to save energy Use public transport, cycle or walk instead of taking the car
WATER CHALLENGES
Saving more water in your home is where you come in. Turn off the tap while
brushing your teeth
Try and start taking
shorter showers
An issue you might not immediately link to the earth’s water problems is food waste –it takes a lot of water to produce our food, so keeping as much food out of your bin as possible can have a real positive impact on things.
MISSION 2
SPEEDY SUMMARY
All of earth’s living creatures, including us, need water to survive. The problem is there’s only a limited amount to go around – only 1% of Earth’s water is drinkable, and 800 million people don’t have access to clean water. Threatening to make things worse are problems like pollution and global warming, but if we act now we can still put things right.
WORD GAME
Use the words below to fill in the gaps and complete this paragraph… Many people struggle to access clean _________ water. In the sea, pollution from ______ waste is harming ocean _______. And ________ means it’s hard for some animals (and people) to find enough food.
overfishing plastic drinking wildlife
SEE WHAT OTHER YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS ARE UP TO IN THE DIRT IS GOOD ACADEMY!
MISSION 3
speedy SUMMARY
A huge amount of the Earth’s surface – 75% in fact – has been changed by human activities like deforestation and intensive farming. One million species of animals and plants are now at risk of extinction because of this, with habitats and natural ecosystems being destroyed and damaged. But governments and conservation groups are working hard to save the planet’s incredible habitats.
CLIMATE CHALLENGEs
Heard of a compost heap? They’re a fantastic way to keep waste out of landfills, and super easy to get going in your own garden. Get your wellies on and volunteer for a tree planting programme Why not try your hand at growing your own fruit & veg to help reduce the need for intensive farming?
WORDSEARCH
Can you find all of these words in the grid below?
ANIMALS EARTH NATURAL PLANTS RECYCLE RESOURCES SOIL WATER MISSION 4
SPEEDY SUMMARY
The world would be a better place if everyone was treated equally, and everyone felt safe, no matter who they were or where they lived. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, with millions of people living in unsafe places, and many not having enough money to buy essential things like food and water. That’s not to mention that plenty of people in the world are treated unfairly because of their race, gender, religion or ability – something called discrimination.
COOL SCHOOLS
people CHALLENGES
If you’re enjoying the Dirt Is Good Academy and want to take part in projects that tackle issues that are important to you, ask your teacher to check out Persil’s Dirt Is Good Schools Programme at persil.com/uk/
dirtisgoodproject/teachers
There’s plenty of organisations working to help people, and you can play a part as well. Write to your local MP to highlight any ideas you have to help people in your local community Get involved with a human rights charity and volunteer to raise money for them. If you have any unwanted clothes, books or toys, don’t throw them out – find a charity to donate them to so another person can enjoy them.
MAKE THE SWITCH TO ELECTRIC WITH CITROËN
Comfort and serenity with zero emissions; Citroën is going electric with a model range ready to suit the needs of families across the UK. As one of the country's most trusted car brands, Citroën's electric vehicle range is suited to families of all sizes, with clever technologies, low running costs and comfort and practicality at the core behind each model. By 2025, Citroën will offer an electric variant across its entire line-up, making it even easier to go electric, with a car to suit every driver's needs.
KEEPING COSTS DOWN
On top of a serene driving experience, Citroën's electric vehicle range will help owners save money in the long run. Owners save on average 75% on fuel costs alone compared to a petrol or diesel car, and with pre-conditioned charging, can set the charge time to take advantage of low electricity tariffs at night, costing as little as £4*. Charging is made more convenient, with many businesses offering free charging, while cities allow you to park for free whilst charging, making for even more cost-effective family days out.
The Citroën electric range is also exempt from road tax and the majority of models are eligible for the £2,500 Plug-in Car Grant to further reduce expenses, with all vehicles also exempt from current congestion and emissions charges.
With no oil changes or timing belts to worry about, as well as an eight-year or 100,000 mile warranty on the electric battery, Citroën's electric vehicle range offers drivers a peace of mind when it comes to servicing and reliability.
EVERYDAY ELECTRIC RANGE
Models like the new ë-C4 electric are capable of up to 217 miles from a single charge, while seven-seat models like the ë-Berlingo electric can go 174 miles before a recharge - making them more than capable of tackling the daily school run or a trips to the shops or office. With an 80% charge completed in just 30 minutes when using a rapid charger, holidays and countryside adventures are just as easy as with a petrol or diesel car.
Citroën's C5 Aircross SUV Plug-in Hybrid offers drivers the best of both worlds - a convenient 34 mile electric range to tackle daily trips, complemented by a PureTech petrol engine to take on longer journeys.
EVERYDAY COMFORT
The Citroën Advanced Comfort® and ë-Comfort programme extends to each Citroën electric model, providing a sense of serenity and wellbeing on the go. With plusher suspension and added padding on the seats means a serene magic-carpet-like ride for driver and passengers. The silent electric powertrain provides a further sense of tranquillity on board, while added noise insulation on the windows ensures each trip is as relaxed as possible.
SUITED TO DAILY FAMILY LIFE
Built for families, Citroën's electric range features a number of innovations set to make daily life easier. On the new Citroën ë-C4 electric, Isofix points come standard across all models on the rear seats, making it easy to attach a child's seat safely and securely. The ë-C4 also features a built-in Citroën Smart Pad Support - a secure multi-device tablet holder that makes it easy to watch cartoons or play games when on the move.
Ideal for large families, the ë-SpaceTourer electric and ë-Berlingo electric both come with three rows of seats, capable of seating up to seven people at once, while cubby holes and storage compartments make both capable of tackling even the most ambitious holiday trips.
ALWAYS CONNECTED
Each Citroën electric vehicle comes standard with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto - allowing users to connect their smartphone to the car's infotainment system to stream their favourite music or audio book. The MyCitroën app also allows users to check on their vehicle's charge level remotely, and set the preferred charging time. While also ensuring drivers stay on top of servicing and MOTs. Roadside assistance can also be alerted when needed via the app.
