The last days of September are filled with the sound of geese in the north. Working around the farm as autumn approaches, the sky rings to the constant din of pink-footed geese coming over at all heights. Some are dropping down steeply to the Solway, but most are high up on the very edge of visibility, heading further south into England. You can certainly hear them at all hours of the day and night, but even when you strain your eyes and stare into the bright skies, these higher birds are hard to see.
Some migrant species appear as if from nowhere in the day, and it’s hard to believe they have travelled such long distances. Others drop in overnight and you find yourself wondering how long they have been there. But geese have mastered the knack of arriving in force for maximum impact.
