Brent Goose

Dark-bellied Brent Goose B. b. bernicla 

An uncommon coastal passage migrant and winter visitor which is very scarce inland. 

Over the last decade the average bird-days per winter is 64, while the largest published count is of 115 at Severn Beach on 31st January, 2009 with a largest inland count of 32 at BL on 26th January 1985. 

The average arrival date is 10th October, the earliest is one at OPS on 8th August, 2011 and the average departure is on 17th April, with the latest departure one at Weston STW on 2nd June, 2015. 

In the past it was considered a local rarity, with records requiring supporting notes, until 1985. 

In 1874 it was ‘rare winter visitor, Avonmouth’ but by 1899 it was clearly more regular and described as ‘occurs on the Severn coast in winter’. Davis (1947) describes it as a ‘winter visitor, recent records suggest occurs regularly in very small numbers’. He mentions a party of 13 near Avonmouth in February, 1937 while the SBR for that year mentions 11 seen on March 6th one mile above Avonmouth. 

Pale-bellied Brent B. b. hrota 

This form is much rarer locally, the first record was overlooked at the time, and all records still require supporting notes. 

The accepted records are as follows: 

1995 – Northwick Warth on February 12th [2005 and 2009 ABRs][photo in 1995 ABR] 

2005 – a first-winter at Cl-Y from November 14th until December 14th 

2006 – two at Cl-Y on October 30th and 31st and on November 9th 

2007 – New Passage on January 25th, Cl-Y on December 30th 

2009 – Severn Beach and Chittening Warth on April 8th, 18 at Severn Beach on September 1st 

2010 – Severn Beach on March 23rd 2012 – five at Severn Beach on September 11th and 12th, a juvenile at Cl-Y from October 10th until 22nd and an adult there on 17th, a first-winter at North Wick on November 18th 

2015 – Dowlais Farm on March 26th and Sand Point on April 17th 

2020 – three at Dowlais on April 15th 

2022 – OPS from December 26th until 29th