Startmount Goose

Starmount Lodge - 15.06.2025

Not so long back there was an unusual siting on a local park lake of a Red-breasted Goose likely an escapee, twelve months later another unusual appearance this time a Brent Goose more likely seen on a salt marsh again hanging out with Canada's on another local lake, or lodge as they call them in these parts.

Dark breasted Brent Geese breed in Russia, Western Siberia wintering in Western Europe and generally the east side of the UK so a little out of normal range. Recent geese sittings that have enjoyed the local hospitality have been a Pink-foot at Birtle (plenty of fly overs) a Red-breated Goose at Haywood and now a Brent Goose at Little Lever all within five miles travel distance, so with this new unusual turn up it's off for some images.

The last time I was at Starmount Lodge was probably about twenty years ago as a rescue diver on a New Year's Day swim one of the funniest events I've ever witnessed, all the yelps and screams from revellers that thought a cold water dip was a good idea to kick off the new year...bonkers !

It's around eight thirty am the light pretty good, so with the sun behind to get some colour in the water I make my way to where the geese are just milling around in the corner of the lodge. Local fishermen start to arrive and the geese get active moving where I just want then, then a Mute Swan take exception to some goslings and pandemonium breaks out, the Brent Goose takes to the air and I'm thinking it's off surprisingly only to circle and land back on the water.

Now with many walkers along with their dogs the geese head to the middle of the lodge and with a overcast sky and deteriorating light time to call time.

19.06.2025....Visit to Bolton, called in on way, no longer present with Canada's on lodge.

Brent Goose 

West Kirby Twenty Years On

It’s well over twenty years since I was last at West Kirby Marine Lake in fact it was a day trip over to Hilbre Island for a high tide sea watch. Today I’m back at the marine lake to photograph Greater Scaup sea ducks which have been in residence for the last week.

The weather has been pretty dire over the last couple of days so I’ve targeted today as the weather forecast is…sun ! The sat nav dose it again and I arrive in the carpark next to the boating centre, a quick scan of the lake to get an idea of a plan, light angle etc and I’m off.

The marine lake being close to the Dee estuary attracts it’s fair share of sea birds none more so than nine Brent Geese which have turned up and are quite close, I get some images but I'm keen to press on looking for the Scaup. 

With the light angle being from the welsh side of the river Dee the plan is to head south along the sea wall path and try and get the sun behind me, walking directly into the sun is never good for trying to locate birds never the less I eventually I pick up two female Scaup a little far out but still within range of the "big white" for some images.

I’m now at the causeway end of the lake and there are three males and two females quite close to the path giving some really close photo opportunities, as a bonus the sun is now right behind me enhancing the colours and highlighting the iridescent green of the drakes head.

On days when the sun shines you will always have walkers and dogs, and on occasions dogs always seem to want to jump in the water, this is exactly what happened on this occasion resulting in the Scaup moving off in to the centre of the lake. 

With well over a nine hundred recorded images I decide to call time and walk back to the boat club to finish with some more images of the Brent Gees, unfortunately on arrival they had departed probably back out onto the Dee estuary.

A grand day out. 

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