Numbers were quite poor in 2003, but lack of observers in the field will be a big factor. Small flocks were noticed early on in the year with groups of 37 and 60 heading west over Otley Gravel Pits and St.Ives respectively on 3rd January. Another 60 were seen over Elland Gravel Pits on 24th January. In February flocks of 180 and 300 were seen over the Aire Valley. The last double figure count of the first winter period was of 50 over Hardisty Hill on 13th March. Two Pink-footed Geese took up residence in the Washburn Valley favouring Lindley Wood Reservoir.

The first record of winter birds for the second period was at Thornton Moor Reservoir when 49 headed east with a Whooper Swan on 21st September. Another 24 were seen seven days later at the same site also heading east. An influx was noted early in October during the vis-mig watches at Denholme Clough and Thornton Moor Reservoir. A total of 95 were seen over Denholme on 4th with 74 over Thornton Moor. The following day another 102 were seen from the latter site. 300 heading east over Denholme the following weekend was the highest count for the autumn movements. 40 flew west over Fewston Church on 25th October. Another 60 were seen during the watch at Timble Ings on 1st November. The largest grounded flock was of 90 grazing in fields at Fewston Reservoir on 12 December but soon hastily left the area north-west.

Other sightings of low numbers occurred at the following sites; Chelker Reservoir, Cold Edge Dams, St.Ives, Knotford Nook, Otley Gravel Pits, Swinsty Reservoir, Burley, Doe Park Reservoir, March Ghyll Reservoir, Denton, Soil Hill, Thruscross Reservoir, and Wilsden.

During the first winter period, skeins started to appear by mid-January, when, on the 10th, flocks comprising 48, 90 and 115 were noted over Bolton Abbey, Leathley and Barden respectively. Both Oxenhope and Cullingworth then had 140 pass over on 21st and 23rd January. Typically, larger numbers traversed the recording area during February, when three separate flocks of 250 were seen over Burley from 9th to 11th,with another 100 on the latter date. Two hundred then flew over the Aire Valley at Riddlesden the following day. At Warley Moor Reservoir 1000 birds were watched in four skeins on 15th , all heading west. The last large flock to be seen in this period was spotted from Elland Gravel Pits on 29th February, when 130 made their way north-west.

Four birds lingered well into spring, and visited Otley Wetland and Lindley Wood Reservoir, while five were at Leeshaw Reservoir into early May. The pair that over-summered last year in the Washburn and Otley areas appeared to do so again.
Not surprisingly, the first returning birds were seen from one of the visible-migration watchpoints. Thornton Moor had 24 and 103 pass through on 24th September, and small numbers dribbled into the area until mid-October. Visible-migration observers were the only people to record triple-figure counts in October and November, with 200 over Cold Edge on 17th October, and 257 and 360 respectively at this location and Thornton Moor on 14th November. Towards the year-end, 320 were watched over Redcar Tarn on 29th, and flocks of 130 and 40 flew west past Knotford Nook on 30th December.

The majority of the records for this species are of birds seen overflying the area on migration, or relocating from their wintering grounds on the east coast to the north-west. This usually takes place in the first two months of the year, with most birds being seen in February. This year’s movement was untypically early, and numbers in January far exceeded those in the following month.

Members out on New Year’s Day were rewarded with a significant movement of geese right from the start of the year, and the whole month, together with the first few days of February, saw a spectacular passage of birds. The three-figure flocks (or day location totals of three-figures) are as follows:

January 1st Barden Scale 198 in two flocks, Baildon 145 in two flocks, Esholt 185 in two flocks, Oxenhope 110
January 13th Barden Scale 110
January 15th Thornton Moor Reservoir 734 in various flocks
January 16th Thornton Moor Reservoir 2070 in various flocks, Queensbury 300
February 3rd Oxenhope 230, Northowram 300
February 5th Barden Scale 140
With the inclusion of smaller numbers seen, the total number of birds passing through in the first winter period was about 5100, and the birds overflying Thornton Moor on 16th January constitute a daily site record for the Group (DCB).

The numbers of birds arriving for the winter were, as usual, less spectacular, and only four flocks comprised more than 100 birds. These consisted of 430 birds over Cold Edge Dams on 9th October and 105 on 11th, 150 at Thornton Moor two days later, and 110 near Marley on 7th November. The first winter arrivals were noted on 11th September at Thornton Moor and the total movement during this period involved about 1300 birds.

Single-figure counts comprised almost all the remaining sightings between March and September, and usually involved birds in company with Canada or Greylag Geese. The exception was a party of up to seventeen birds which were present in fields adjoining Otley Wetland from 25th March to 27th April.

Within the Group area Pink-footed Geese are essentially passage birds, so the fluctuations in numbers from one year to another are as much dependent on observer coverage as on actual differences in the number of birds overflying the area. That said, the totals seen in 2006 were significantly down on 2004, and considerably so on last year’s mammoth total, but still represented a good tally when compared with some other recent years.

Typically, birds seen in the first two months of the year are relocating their wintering grounds from the south-east to the north-west of the country, and those which appear in the last quarter are new arrivals. There seems to be a tendency for some birds to relocate rather earlier, however, and some of the birds seen in December may have been doing this. The first quarter produced about 1900 birds, comprising the following significant movements

Jan 12th Barden Scale 230 in three flocks
Jan 18th Knotford Nook 80
Jan 19th Oxenhope 170 in two flocks
Jan 22nd Wilsden 450 in three flocks
Jan 22nd Marley Hall Farm 500
Jan 22nd Skipton Sewage Works 80
Feb 11th Leathley 80
Feb 11th Haworth 150
Feb 14th Shipley 150

Unusually, the final three months of the year produced more birds than the first, boosted considerably by excellent counts in October at Caldene Fields, comprising 800 on 9th, (the year’s highest), 109

on 16th, 320 on 23rd, and 300 on 29th. The first arrivals were on the 3rd at Denholme Clough, when 43 birds flew east, and at Thornton Moor Reservoir, where two skeins totalling 70 birds were noted. This period also produced sightings at Warley Moor Reservoir, with 50 on the 4th and 35 on the 7th. There were no other significant counts until December, when 57 birds flew west at Cullingworth on the 8th, and 175 were over Shipley Glen on the 21st. In all, this second passage period had an aggregate of about 2030 birds. A flock of 100 grey geese over Newsholme at the end of October and totals of 85 over Caldene Fields in the same month couldn’t be specifically identified, but could have been this species.

Outside the main passage period, up to two birds were seen, usually in the company of Greylag Geese, at Lower Barden Reservoir, Pool, Leeshaw, Embsay Reservoir, Kex Gill Quarry, Cononley Ings, and, rather surprisingly, the canal towpath at Silsden. Four birds were at Thruscross Reservoir in January. It is probable the Aire and Worth Valley birds, at least, were wandering summering individuals.

As ever, most of the records this year refer to birds en route to their wintering grounds in autumn, or relocating later from wintering areas in the south-east to others in the north-west. Annual figures are to some extent dependent on the amount of observer coverage during movement periods, and possible duplication of counts in adjacent locations, but even with these provisos the 2007 numbers are impressive.

The records received show a total annual movement through the area of 8283 birds, which is a record aggregate figure for the Group, and will remain so, even if adjusted for possible double-counting, referred to below. In January and February, relocating birds were seen mainly in the south of the area (but with five records from Wharfedale) and totalled 2993. There were particularly significant counts of 800 over Queensbury and 305 past Cullingworth on 14th January, and, in February, 600 overflying Riddlesden on the 1st, and 300 seen there three days later.

Returning birds were first seen in small numbers at Baildon Bank on 7th September, and around 380 were seen during the month, but the floodgates opened in October, with 4516 being reported. Once again, watchpoints in and around Airedale predominated, with only one record from elsewhere, and nearly all the biggest totals referred to one day, 14th October, when the following were recorded:
Stockbridge 314
Warley Moor Reservoir 700
Denholme Clough 1500
Thornton Moor Reservoir 1500

Given the proximity of these last three locations, however, it may be the total for all of them is 1500. Another big count was made on the 17th, when 380 were seen from Thornton Moor, and 394 birds were noted, again in the south, in November and December.

Otherwise, there were many reports throughout the year of a single bird, usually with Canada Geese, and a party of 26 was seen with Greylag Geese at Leeshaw in early March. In January and October, unidentified grey geese were seen at Oakworth, Barden Scale and Caldene Fields, and may well have been this species.

There have, in recent years, been considerable increases in the numbers of relocating and migrating birds seen flying over the area, almost certainly due to greater observer coverage. This year several records were broken, namely an annual total of 10,656, and a site day aggregate of 2500 birds over Oxenhope on 19th February, which comprised 16 skeins and the year’s biggest flock of 400 birds. In all during the first two months around 5580 were observed, mainly over and adjoining the Aire Valley, and including 10 other three-figure counts.

Unusually, the autumn total was, at 5076, almost as high, and had notable tallies of 1945 at Thornton Moor and 879 at Caldene Fields on 29th October. Between one and four birds were at several sites in the south of the area between January and early May.

Greater observer coverage seems to be paying dividends, as last year’s annual record total of 10,656 was again broken, by an aggregate of 11,325, which, as in 2009, was split fairly evenly between relocating/departing flocks and arrivals, and with almost all the sightings south of the Wharfe. In the first four months 5514 birds were logged, and in the final four, 5811.

Three-figure aggregates were recorded on 22 days, the highest of which were Thornton Moor counts of 764 on 14th February, 905 on 1st March and 604 on the 3rd, and 731 over Caldene Fields on 6th November. The odd stragglers, usually associating with Greylag Geese, were seen at three locations, for short periods.