| Sighting Ref : | IB115314 |
| Sighting Date : | 05 Feb 19 |
| Common Name : | Barnacle Goose |
| Scientific Name : | Branta leucopsis |
| Location : | Birmore Island |
| County : | Galway |
| Number Seen : | 100 |
| Principal Observer(s) : | Sean McCann Not Specified |
| Reported By : | Not Specified |
| Comments : | Possible flock of c.250 Barnacle Geese, Birmore Island, Galway. I live on Lettermullen, Galway. I was out birding around 4pm Monday 5th when I noticed a distant flock of geese roaming around over the sound between the Lettermore archipelago and Fínis/Finish Island south of Carna. My view was hampered by Inis Eirc but it seemed to me the flock of circa 250 geese eventually landed more or less on a line from me to Errisbeg (above Cloch na Rón / Roundstone), and about halfway across the sound to Fínis. A check of the map suggested Bior Mór / Birmore Island as the likely landing place. I know nothing of the island with regard to habitat, in fact I'd never heard of it. While airborne the geese appeared gleaming white on the underparts from vent through to a demarcated upper breast/neck/head. Upperwing appeared dark though hinted at lighter when banking in the crisp sunlight. I could not help but think they were Barnacles but could not detect white on the face which bothered me until I checked to literature which stated this was surprisingly difficult to detect at long range. Using my map's scale I estimated I had been viewing the geese from about 5kms / 3 miles. |
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