THE YEAR OF THE GREYLAG GEESE IN SCANIA
During the first years of the study in Scania only very few Greylags remained in Scania, the majority being in the winterquarters in Spain or the Netherlands. In the mor recent, milder years an increasing number of Greylags have remained in the country. Moreover the first migrants returned back into Sweden during early January, mostly to the coastal areas of Foteviken, but some Greylags were also seen in the Lake Study area. Once arrived back they stay until it comes to much snow, feeding mainly on winter cereals.
FEBRUARY
In February, larger numbers arrive at least in later years, they gather in flocks on suitable feeding areas, especially the golf course at Yddingen is much used at this time of the year, the green areas having high quality grass and become free of snow early. Normally the first geese in the Lake study area arrived first at Yddingen, being later in the other lakes. In case of hard weather and especially snow the Greylags moved out of the lake area to the more benign coastal area, as in the picture here, feeding on grass seed at Foteviken during a frosty period.
Through the years the Greylags have started to arrive earlier and earlier to Scania, the median arrival changing from the last days of March to the last ten day period of February.
Some geese start their nesting in February in some years
During the coldest winter days the Greylags and Bean Geese had difficulties to find enough food. In this year they were seen digging for sugar beet in a heep on a field together with Whooper Swans.
MARCH
March is the first real breeding month for the Greylags in Scania even if some early pairs start egg-laying and also incubating in late February in some years, the first brood was actually seen walking on thin ice on March 30th in one year, but this is exceptional.
Normally egglaying starts the first days the geese can find safe breeding sites with free water surrounding the islands in the lakes or the reed beds. Just hen the ice goes away there is much activity around the breeding islands like the one in the photo from Yddingen.
In March there are much interactions between the pairs and the mail and female keep close contact during the feeding sessions. Early March is also the period to count the pairs, before they start incubating in larger numbers.
The first part of April is normally quite calm in the breeding areas as most females are incubating and the males stay with the smaller flocks of non-breeders that are gathering around the lakes.
Depending on the weather situation, the first broods in the area hatch in mid-April or later.
Early May is the main brood period in the Lake study area. Dense concentratios of families are sometimes found in the best feeding areas such as the golf course at Lake Yddingen and some shore meadows at the same lake. In other areas the families are more spread. The neckbanding has also shown that their are some movements over land between the different lakes.
The non-breeders gather in large flocks on some fields close to the lakes during early May. Normally the flocks leave for the moulting areas in the last third of May.
In the first days of July, the last yearling Greylags are fledged. The families are first feeding in the brood rearing areas,but soon the extend their feeding expeditions to other fields in the neighbourhood. They first gather in smaller groups especially on harvested grassland, but these smaller flocks grow bigger and bigger especially when the moulting greylags come back from the moulting areas.
In this time of the year the geese have to search wide areas to find suitable feeding areas, but if they find good areas, e.g. harvested pea fields etc. large flocks can gather. The geese also fly long to reach such fields. During July, the Greylags from the study area also disperse to other areas in the neighbourhood, especially to Foteviken, but also to some other sites in Scania. They roost on the lakes or in the Foteviken area, making regular feeding flights to the agricultural areas in the early morning and in the evening, sometimes when it is quite dark
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER
After the harvest the Greylags mostly feed on stubble fields for a period but they are quite opportunistic. There is a steady movement of geese from the inland to the coast but they also move back to the lakes if they are disturbed by hunting at the coastal resort.
OCTOBER
In October, most feeding areas in the lake area are in relatively bad conditions and there are no root crops like sugar beet in the area. Numbers in the area decreases markedly and most Greylags leave this area. During the first years of the study some start the autumn migration out of the country in october and the first appeared in the staging area in the Netherlands, but most Greylags do not leave Scania until later. The Greylags now mostly feed on sugar beet remains.
NOVEMBER
There is a gradual movement out of the country during November depending on weather conditions. In a mild winter a large proportion of the Greylags stay at the Foteviken area, many remaining over the winter. They mainly feed on sugar beet remains.
DECEMBER
In December, in earlier years, most Greylags have left Scania, but in recent milder winters there are still large flocks in the Foteviken area and also in other areas in Scania. Some Greylags are also seen in the flocks of the more numerous Canada Geese. A larger and larger proportion of the Greylags stay for the winter and even in the cold winter of 2010/11 more than 10000 remained in the country.
