Greylag Geese Loch Indaal

A brace of Grey-lags

The Grey-lag goose population on Islay has risen very considerably in recent years and they are increasingly being targeted by farmers trying to protect their crops.  We are now well into the shooting season for the species.  I understand that most Greylags are shot on Islay using rifles, which have a much greater range than shotguns.
These two are about to have their large breasts removed.  They will be marinaded and flash fried after being sliced very thinly.  Grey-lag breasts have much more fat on them than those from Barnacle geese.
Carl

Birds in the Barley Crop

Starlings and Rock Doves

Grey-lag geese.  Note the, probably feral, bird with a white neck.

There has been a large increase in the Grey-lag population in recent years.

The wild bird population is helping itself to a large proportion of the barley crop on Islay as the farmers wait for the right conditions to bring in the harvest.  Much of the barley is being grown for Bruichladdich Distillery.  Growing grain crops is always going to be a marginal, high-risk activity on Islay.  Seed cannot be sown until late in the spring because of the geese.  This means the crop ripens late and faces difficult weather - and these days even more geese...  Red deer are also doing significnat damage.  They come down at night to feed from the forestry plantations where they hide out during the day.
Carl

Greylag geese - Jo Griffiths

Another classy shot from Jo - from the background I would suggest that this was perhaps taken on the Ard, near Port Ellen...