I had gotten an email from Graham telling me he'd received an email from someone reporting 300 Brent feeding on a large roundabout in Crumlin on Friday morning (9th Dec 2011).
I didn't hold out much hope for them being there on a weekend, but I drove over anyway, driving round and round and round - but nada.
I drove up to the Convent but the gates were locked, so I drove a few metres further down to Dolphin Park.
As I drove up, a man was pulling the gates closed, he stopped when he saw me.
'Did you want to watch the game? It's over.'
'No, I wanted to watch the geese, but I guess I'm too late, no problem, I should have got here earlier - were there any geese here today?'
'Yeah they were some earlier, we watch them every year, they're great for fertilizing the pitches! If you want I can let you in and come back later and lock the gate?'
'No, no you're fine, I don't want to put you out.'
'It's no trouble, will an hour be long enough?'
"yeah that'd be great thankyou so much'.
And off he went - I had the field and access and the Geese for an hour!
I have no idea why, but I somehow expected to see about 700-800 Brent on the field.
There were 0.
1pm, 1.15pm, 1.30pm, 1.45pm, 2pm = 0 Brent Geese and Joe came back to lock up the gates.
 |
| This was the scene - for an hour - with rain. |
 |
| Juvenile Rook. Also saw a couple of Common gulls, Herring and Black headed and plenty of Rooks, Jackdaws and Hoodies, Dolphin Park, Crumlin. |
I drove back over to Clonmacnoise roundabout, drove round and round but still nothing doing, so I went home to get some lunch.
Back out again, it was 3pm, rainy and getting a bit dark.
Back around the flippin roundabout - nothing, so on to Sundrive cycle track.
I wasn't too hopeful but as I walked up the main path I saw the tops of heads, Brent heads!
And quite a few of them.
 |
| some of the 330 Brent Geese, Sundrive cycle track, Crumlin. 3.15pm 11th Dec 2011 (taken through metal grid fence). |
PHWR with 4 juvs following
UNWR
FIWR} associate with HIWR
HIWR} associate with FIWR (both walking with 2 juvs following)
PFRY
CXWR
TPGY
I counted 59 juveniles total.
 |
| PHWR with its 4 chizzlers in tow. |
By 4pm the sun had set and there was no sign of the Brent moving anywhere so I left them to it and went home.
