I've never seen a wild Egyptian Goose before ...

[Cobra]

... Let alone one up a tree!
I was unsure of the species TBH, but a quick Google confirmed it was an Egyptian,and the location was about right too.

Driving through a very much urban area, a couple of miles outside Norwich, going past an "urban" reservoir,
I saw one Goose sat on the roof of the reservoir buildings and the other flew to a pine tree, by the boundary wall, and perched there.

As always, no camera.

I just found it curious that Goose would sit in a tree. Now of course, you are all going to tell me its common?

 

[wardy07]

They're seen quite a lot in Norfolk, I had a pair of Egyptian Geese in my village last year. They stayed for the summer and reared some young. I've seen them on a wall surrounding the farm where they stayed a lot of the time. Great birds to see, more exotic looking than most geese.

 

[gramps]

Very different looking but not seen one up a tree TBH ... just being friendly

 

[Cobra]

Very different looking but not seen one up a tree TBH ... just being friendly

View attachment 57508

Pretty aren't they? all I ever see around here are the Canada's and a few Grey legged.

 

[broc]

By strange coincidence we saw our first wild Egyptian goose up a tree too! It was in a tree on the banks of the Rhine in Germany near the Lorelei Rock. We saw several more wandering around the campsite we were staying at nearby.

 

[Cobra]

By strange coincidence we saw our first wild Egyptian goose up a tree too!

Seems its not uncommon after all then, I'm surprised I must admit

 

[broc]

Seems its not uncommon after all then, I'm surprised I must admit

We were surprised too. I was able to get a good look with binoculars, I only had a compact camera with me & they were too far away for a photograph.
I did get some photos later of my wife feeding them in the campsite.

 

[Cobra]

We were surprised too. I was able to get a good look with binoculars, I only had a compact camera with me & they were too far away for a photograph.
I did get some photos later of my wife feeding them in the campsite.

Excellent
These were perched right by the side of quite a busy road, and as above no camera

 

[Gremlin]

Just don't try and get anywhere near them when they have young, damn evil things

 

[gramps]

Just don't try and get anywhere near them when they have young, damn evil things

Was attacked by a Hawaiian Goose yesterday, it was protecting it's mate on the nest ... right beside the main doors to the hide ... stupid bird!

 

[Gremlin]

Was attacked by a Hawaiian Goose yesterday, it was protecting it's mate on the nest ... right beside the main doors to the hide ... stupid bird!

Yep they really are nasty little sods and they mean it, had a few runs in with them at the WWT.
There are quite a few wild egyptian geese round here

 

[Cobra]

Just don't try and get anywhere near them when they have young, damn evil things

But that's geese per se'

 

[Gremlin]

But that's geese per se'

In different degrees I've found

Greylags and Candas tend to hiss a bit as you walk past or totally ignore you
Egyptian will run at you if the feel you are getting to close, TBH I've never challenged the threat
Hawian attack first and ask questions later, my camera bag has saved me from a few nasty attacks

 

[Cobra]

my camera bag has saved me from a few nasty attacks

My 12 bore does a better job TBH
But of course only ever on Canada's

 

[Tringa]

Geese (and ducks too) do look odd in trees but quite a few (including Egyptians) nest in trees. You were in the right place, Norfolk was the first area where they became feral but they also found elsewhere; there are a few that move around the lakes close to us in east London. I think I have been lucky in never meeting any with young, all I have encountered have been quite friendly.

I don't know if they have an impact on native geese and ducks but they are an attractive looking bird.

Dave

 

[Cobra]

I don't know if they have an impact on native geese and ducks but they are an attractive looking bird.

They certainly are attractive.

I would have thought that the Canada's were more likely to be a threat, due to the huge numbers that we have.

Geese (and ducks too) do look odd in trees but quite a few (including Egyptians) nest in trees.

I didn't know that TBH, we have thousands of Canada's around here, and that's really all I tend to see,
I never seen one of those up a tree

 

[Tringa]

I don't know if Canadas have an impact here, but as you say given the numbers we have it would not be surprising, but they have been in the UK for a couple of hundred years at least. I think there is some concern about them in The Netherlands.

I'd have agreed about Candas not being in trees and then I Googled -

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHyuYvvNMe4


The video is clearly old and has intro sound track that would not be out of place in a low budget American police drama. The geese in the trees starts around 3:20

Dave

 

[Cobra]

I'd have agreed about Candas not being in trees and then I Googled

That's certainly a new one on me! you live and learn!

Granted Cananda's have been here quite a few years, but also we had a large migratory population too.
Over the last 20 - 30 years their numbers have increased quite substantially,
They certainly have an impact on the farming community, they eat more young crops than rabbits, certainly around these parts.
Thankfully they are easy to control during the breeding season as they are flightless, and that of course is when they do the damage!

 

[jerry12953]

Cobra,

I doubt if there was ever a migratory population of Canada geese in the UK, as they are naturally a North American species. Occasionally wild Canada's are identified amongst flocks of other wild geese in the UK but these are regarded as a genuine rarity by birders. And just to be picky, they would, I think, only start to moult after the end of the breeding season.

But I do agree that they need to be controlled. My least favourite bird! There are a few pairs that nest right out in the wilds in mid-Wales and there they act and behave like real wild geese do. But genrally they seem so out of place here.

 

[Cobra]

I doubt if there was ever a migratory population of Canada geese in the UK,

Even the RSPB agree's with me
Europe UK breeding* - 62,000 pairs
UK wintering* 190,000 birds -
* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually.
*UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March.

I think, only start to moult after the end of the breeding season.

Aplogies, That was badly worded its more as the chicks leave the nest that they under go a massive moult,
It's at that time they are "rounded up" along with the pre-flighted chicks.

 

[jerry12953]

From Wikipedia -

Canada geese have reached Northern Europe naturally, as has been proved by ringing recoveries. The birds include those of the subspecies B. c. parvipes, and possibly others. These geese are also found naturally on the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia, and eastern China.[citation needed]

Canada geese have also been introduced in Europe, and have established populations in Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Scandinavia, and Finland. Most European populations are not migratory, but those in more northerly parts of Sweden and Finland migrate to the North Sea and Baltic coasts.[20] Semitame feral birds are common in parks, and have become a pest in some areas. In the early 17th century, explorer Samuel de Champlain sent several pairs of geese to France as a present for King Louis XIII. The geese were first introduced in Britain in the late 17th century as an addition to King James II's waterfowl collection in St. James's Park. They were introduced in Germany and Scandinavia during the 20th century, starting in Sweden in 1929. In Britain, they were spread by hunters, but remained uncommon until the mid-20th century. Their population grew from 2200–4000 birds in 1953 to an estimated 82,000 in 1999, as changing agricultural practices and urban growth provided new habitat. European birds are mostly descended from the subspecies B. c. canadensis, likely with some contributions from the subspecies B. c. maxima.[21]

The figures you quoted could include the number of young birds that would be present within the population over winter but have not as yet bred.