Are brent geese becoming city geese?

The pale-bellied brent goose, probably the world’s most northerly breeding bird, nests on remote uninhabited islands in Arctic Canada and the 'goose army' arrives in Ireland in winter

Brent geese flying in Dublin Bay. Picture: Tom Honan

Brent geese arrived late on the North Dublin coast this winter. They normally show up in October but only odd stragglers were present by early December. Small flocks joined them later in the month. Then the main 'goose army' arrived. Soon almost every grassy sward near the coast had a flock.

In shades of ‘back to the future’, this used to be the normal arrival pattern here: 50 years ago, no self-respecting brent goose would be seen off Malahide or Portmarnock until Christmas week.