A species which in general has increased heavily in numbers during the latest years and in particular as a roosting species on Amager. Something that unfortunately also is the situation with the urbanization which has claimed large parts where before was green nature.
With the dirty dark face where normally white, and the black parties faded to brownish the indication of a hybrid is strong. Supported by the yellowish legs that indicate a crossing with an anser goose, but which? Could be a Tundra Bean-Goose - thinking about the pure bird that also was present during these days, picture 2341.
Vestamager continues to be an attractive roosting site for migrating Barnacles. Close to the city. Here with Copenhagen Town Hall and the Cathedral of Copenhagen in the background.
Roosting flock. The birds have completed accepted the daily traffic passing through the area, and they often roost close to the roads - especially Villa Høj, where flocks up to a few thousand regularly could be seen close by and in good light with the sun in from behind.
Pair with three pullus. Numbers have exploded during the last 20 years, with the consequence that the species now breeds close to Copenhagen as well. Whether these birds come from Saltholm, where many pairs now breed, or from another place within the Køge Bay area is unknown.
This aberrant individual was in a flock with 40 normally looking Barnacle Geese and one other aberrant Barnacle, 3167. Both birds look clean when it comes to overall patterns with the only difference on this bird being the more extensive white in the head and down the neck. This makes me prefer to think it is not a hybrid but an aberrant mutant effect.
This aberrant individual was in a flock with 40 normally looking Barnacle Geese and one other aberrant Barnacle, 3166. Both birds look clean when it comes to overall patterns with the only difference on this bird being dark brown on the wings without barring, and also the brown flanks. This makes me prefer to think it is an effect caused by mutation rather than hybridization.
The migration of this remarkably well-adapting goose has been gong on for weeks now and will continue through October, probably with many birds deciding to stay in the region during winter.
Adult. A completely normal-plumaged Barnacle Gooose with a rather unusual appearance!
Eye-catching as it is, it was visible from far away in the strong sunlight. First I was hoping for a weird type of red-breasted hybrid, but knew that the distribution of red was too unusual. So I slowly approached it, and got this result that still leaves me puzzled.
Somehow it looks like blood, but it can't be from the bird itself because it was foraging and flying without any difficulties. Then what? Did it land in a blood pool near a whale or seal kill further north? All the birds present today clearly had arrived with the frosty northern winds the last few days, so imaging that it made a long-haul flight from the arctic coast to here, is not unrealistic.
Or is it painting? Shot in the breast by a crazy farmer with a paintball gun? It clearly has a large patch of the substance on the breast - sticky and glistening. If it was hit from the front, the paint logically would splash out down toward the belly. And the color in the head and on the bill would be from trying to remove the stuff.