DV3E2377, originally uploaded by andyskelton-a Blog a day http://andrewskelton.net.
It’s probably more a case of paying attention, but there does seem to have been an influx of Mega’s recently (mega rare birds, in other words). Not only has a juvenile White Tailed Sea Eagle been seen along the coast of Hampshire, but a Red Breasted Goose was also spotted around the same area (not at the same time, you work it out!!). This photo is not of that specific individual, I would have been incredibly lucky to get as close as this.
Following on from yesterday plaintive blog about the plight of the common, or not so common, House Sparrow, the Red Breasted Goose is also becoming more scarce in it’s native Arctic Russian breeding grounds.
The perennial “loss of habitat” is responsible for a large percentage of the decline, but despite being classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) some hunting of this majestic bird still occurs.
Luckily plans are under way to protect this species further, plans which include attaching GPS tracking units to six birds to better understand their movements and behaviours.
This photo was taken at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) in London, one of the teams who are helping in the species preservation as mentioned above. Having successfully re-introduce the Hawaiian Goose back to it’s home land, their track record bides well- though I bet the Red Breasted Goose would prefer a stint in the warm tropical climate of USA’s newest state to the cold and harsh conditions it accustomed to. Aloha.
Andrew Skelton: 
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