Rockcliffe Marsh, Cumbria

There are immense numbers of geese on Rockcliffe Marsh in Cumbria at the moment, with at least 15,000 barnacle geese and another 5000 pink-footed. As ever the barnacle flocks contain these really smart looking leucistic birds, there were at least three at Rockcliffe today, plus another that I saw at Mereshead yesterday. I'm sure that there must be even more scattered around the Solway, either that or I'm incredibly lucky because I see at least one bird almost every day. Other geese today included a single pale-bellied brent goose and a few greylags. So far I've ben unable to find a Todd's Canada goose or any other rarity, but the marsh here is vast and almost completely inaccessible.

 

It really is a breathtaking spectacle and this was only part of one of several flocks of this size or larger, stretching as far as the eye can see. An amazing place.