The free flying feral barnacle goose flock which spends late summer on the Rainford mosslands north of St Helens and occasionally travels further afield continues to thrive. They breed in Knowsley Safari Park and an unscientific survey today as I drove around resulted in a count of 297 adults and 65 goslings. When they are on the mosslands they are very likely to mix with wild pink-footed geese and occasionally the odd bird or two must get caught up with the pink-feet when they leave, which casts doubt on any barnacle goose in pink-footed goose flocks, especially in the north west.
Despite good numbers of both breeding Canada and barnacle geese in the safari park, I didn't see any birds that looked like hybrids. Similar story last autumn as well, when the two species mixed at Moss Lane, St Helens but I couldn't pick out a single bird that looked like a hybrid.
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