Warnham Local Nature Reserve

Egyptian Geese - L. Lockyer

Liza Lockyer spent the morning on the Reserve and manged to photograph the pair of Egyptian Geese which have been a regular feature since last spring. Egyptian Geese are a native of sub-tropical Africa it was brought to Britain in the late 17th century as an ornamental bird for benefit of wealthy folks wildfowl collections.

The Egyptian Goose has struggled to establish itself in Britain for the past 300 years due to the cold winters we experience. Egyptian Geese breed very early in the season with young often being seen from January onward. This obviously means they are very open to the elements, and due to this they often succumb to poor weather.  Another factor which leads to poor success rate of rearing young is the fact they nest in tree holes. The cavity in the tree therefore needs to be quite large to fit the bird in and due to health and safety issues with tree safety cavities of this size, nest sites are often limited in availability!

The pair at Warnham today seemed to think that the weather was suitable and love was in the air and Liza was luckily on hand to photograph the incredible mating ritual of the Egyptian Geese. They will continue to mate for a while yet until the female will begin to lay eggs in the new year so fingers crossed we will have little goslings trundling round in January or February.

Egyptian Geese Mating - L. Lockyer