Breeding took place again at Stockbridge with a total of eight goslings hatching from two nests, one within the reserve boundary and one nearby. At least ten occupied nests were counted at Otley Gravel Pits. A pair raising two young was potentially a first for Hewenden Reservoir. Another site first was a pair fledging one young at Hallas Bridge on a very small pond. Six goslings were fledged at Thornton Moor Reservoir, while out of the three pairs on Coppice Pond, St. Ives only one pair produced young.

The largest flocks occurred over the winter periods and were mainly recorded at Otley Gravel Pits and in the Washburn Valley. The year’s highest count was of approximately 400 Canada Geese at Fewston Reservoir on 14th December.

Breeding occurred at 13 sites as this goose maintained its common breeder status. The high counts once again came from the three Washburn Valley reservoirs and Otley Wetland. The latter site held the year’s highest total, when 350 were counted on 15th September.

Records submitted indicate this species’ common status in the area remains unchanged. Observations came from 28 widespread locations, although it is probable these involve an interchange of the same birds, particularly in the Wharfe and Washburn Valleys.

Three-figure gatherings were seen at six locations, and the monthly maxima at the two major ones were:

Elsewhere, there were 150 birds at Fewston Reservoir in March, and 288 in July (the year’s largest count), 166 at Warley Moor Reservoir in July, and, in August, 103 birds at Cold Edge Dams and 111 at Lindley Wood Reservoir.

There was evidence of successful breeding at Otley Wetland, St. Ives, Middleton Moor, Warley Moor, Cold Edge Dams, the reservoirs at Leeshaw and Weecher, and on the River Wharfe, this representing eight less such locations than in 2004.

As ever, this species was well-recorded, with numbers generally in line with other recent years, though the 39 locations represented 11 more than in 2005, and breeding was particularly well-recorded.

Records came from most suitable wetland and moorland areas across the area, but the highest aggregations generally emanated from Otley Wetland, which had monthly three-figure maxima of:February 117, March 132, April 135, July 217. Flocks of 100 or more were also reported from Manningham Park (which had this number in January and February), Lindley Wood Reservoir, where the year’s maximum count of 215 adult birds was made on 5th January, Lower Laithe Reservoir, with 120 birds in February, and Warley Moor Reservoir, where juveniles boosted the number to 200 in June and 167 in July.Counts of between 50 and 99 birds were made on 23 occasions, mainly from the above locations, plus Killinghall Park, Yeadon Tarn, Gallows Hill (Otley), and the reservoirs at Ponden, Swinsty, Leeshaw, Upper Barden and Silsden.

Successful breeding was noted at two more locations than in 2005, being reported from Otley Wetland, St. Ives, Kex Gill Quarry, the reservoirs at Lower Laithe, Warley Moor, Thornton Moor, John o’ Gaunt’s and Hewenden, and from the Rombald’s Moor and Denton Moor complexes. Whilst definite numbers were not uniformly available, a figure of at least 200 juveniles would be conservative. One observer commented that the number of nesting birds at Otley Wetland seemed comparatively low, and considered deliberate disturbance had contributed to this. However, many young birds were seen here by the middle of July.

This species showed a downward trend on 2006, both in the numbers seen, and, particularly, in breeding success. Three-figure counts came from much the same locations as last year, and comfortably the highest aggregates were 230 at Warley Moor Reservoir in July (the best of three similar totals there), and 201 at Swinsty Reservoir in December. Nine such counts were recorded at Otley Wetland, the best of which was 157 in March, and there were 120 birds at Manningham Park in January, and 100 elsewhere over Bradford the following month.

Several other large counts emanated from the first three of the above sites, but only five other places had flocks of more than 50 birds: Yeadon Tarn, Leeshaw, Fewston Reservoir, near Apperley Bridge, and Upper Barden Reservoir

Fewer locations featured as breeding areas (or ones where families were seen after breeding locally), and only Otley Wetland, with a minimum of 40 juveniles, figured prominently. Of the others, Kex Gill Quarry, Warley Moor Reservoir, St. Ives and Thornton Moor Reservoir, could muster only 38 between them, whilst no specific numbers were available for Weecher Reservoir, though young were seen there. These compare with last year’s figures of at least 200 young.