Saving wetlands for wildlife & people
Saving wetlands for wildlife & people
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BackgroundThe East Atlantic population of Light-bellied Brent Goose (also known as the ‘Svalbard/North Greenland’ population) breeds on Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and northeast Greenland and winters primarily in Denmark and at Lindisfarne, northeast England. The geese stage in Denmark in spring, before embarking on the longest unbroken migration of any Western Palearctic goose, to breeding grounds in the high Arctic that are further north than those of any other goose population. Post-breeding and non-breeding birds moult in the Arctic, before migrating direct to Denmark or England. Traditionally, the main wintering sites were Mariager & Randers Fjords in Denmark, but Lindisfarne has become increasingly important with numbers increasing from 200 individuals in the 1950s, to over 3,000 in the 2000s. Occasionally, during severe weather in Denmark, up to 80% of the population occurs at Lindisfarne. In recent years, they have been arriving at these wintering sites increasingly early, with a corresponding decrease in the use of the previous main autumn staging area in the Danish Wadden Sea (Denny et al. 2004). By mid to late winter, most birds have moved from the wintering sites to spring staging areas in Denmark, primarily at Nissum Fjord and increasingly at Agerø and several other sites. At this time the whole population is found in Denmark. Evidence suggests that many may stop over at non-breeding sites in Svalbard before moving to the breeding areas (Denny et al. 2004). Until recently, Light-bellied Brent Geese only used what may be regarded as natural habitats, feeding on intertidal and subtidal seagrass (Zostera and Ruppia) and algal (Enteromorpha and Ulva lactuca) beds and saltmarshes. Since 1991, however, they have started feeding on agricultural land at many of their wintering/spring sites, using autumn-sown cereals, pastures and spring-sown cereal seeds. In some areas this has lead to conflicts with agricultural interests (Clausen et al. 1999). Since 1960, abundance has been monitored regularly at Lindisfarne and other sites in Britain through WeBS. Additional data on both abundance and productivity at Lindisfarne have been collected throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, often on a fortnightly basis.
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