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The Loch of Strathbeg near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire
is a staging post for huge numbers of migrating birds in the autumn.
Up
to 80,000 Pink footed Geese can be in residence at a given time. That's
a quarter of the world's population! |
The beach and waterway at Strathbeg.
Photo - RSPB Images/Andy Hay |
The reason why the geese are attracted to Strathbeg is because
this is the most northerly, and the first, stopping off point for them on their
journey south from Iceland and Greenland.
The birds land exhausted - spend
a few weeks here stocking up before they head off to other winter roost sites
in throughout the UK. The sight and sound of the geese on the move is phenomenal
- a real indicator that autumn has arrived in this part of the world. There
are a couple of flyover points where you can get tens of thousands of geese flying
out over your head as they leave their roost sites and head out to feed on farmland. Wintering
Wildfowl  The
reserve supports spectacular populations of wintering wildfowl, including a fifth
of the world's population of Pink-footed Geese.
Eighty thousand geese visit
Strathbeg at the peak of their migration as they stop before dispersing in October. In
addition, there is a huge variety and abundance of other wildfowl including Whooper
Swans, Barnacle Geese, Widgeon and Teal as well as Golden Plovers and Lapwings.
In addition to the 260+ species of birds recorded, the reserve is important
for a wide range of plants, insects and mammals. Over 360 species of plant
have been recorded in site including Creeping Spearwort (found at only four other
sites in Britain) and Coralroot Orchid. Wildlife
cornucopia  The
reserve's insects are less well recorded, although over 280 species of moth have
been found so far.
The majority of the 26 species of mammal identified
are very elusive, although species such as Roe Deer are seen regularly. With
patience and luck, Otters are often seen fishing in the loch. The reserve
has a small visitor centre at Starnafin, from where Tower Pool hide can be reached
via a clearly-marked path. The RSPB reserve is a great place for spotting
moths - every day - as long as it is not too wet - the staff trap moths - and
if you come here for around 10am then you will be able to see what has been captured
well into late September and October. Marine influences  The
loch of Strathbeg is not a standard freshwater environment.
It is only
100m or so from the North Sea which makes it such a great place to watch birds. And
if you are going to make the effort to come to this corner of the UK and see some
of the rare and not so rare birds here, you're guaranteed to return home with
some top quality memories. Photo
credits Images copyright and courtesy of
RSPB Images, Chris Gomersall (Pink footed Goose) and Andy Hay. | 
