Arrival of the Barnacle Geese

Three snaps of just a small proportion of the big flocks of Barnacle Geese that have arrived on Islay from their migration staging post on Iceland over the past two days.  Around 25,000 are here now, with the majority on the reserve at Gruinart, but also good numbers at the head of Loch Indaal (pictured).
Carl

Gruinart scrape abandoned by avifauna

There was not a bird to be seen in front of the hide at Gruinart today.  The thousands of duck, geese, swans and waders that usually flock at the shallow lagoons to feed have all disappeared - because their watery world has turned to solid ice.

Icelandic Birding Blog

http://notendur.hi.is/yannk/birdnews.html

Barnacle Geese at Gruinart

These are just some of the Barnacle geese resting up this evening on the sand at the top of Loch Gruinart after their flight from Iceland.  The geese tend to concentrate on the reserve when they first arrive, gradually spreading out over the island as the winter progresses and as the grass at Loch Gruinart becomes exhausted.