Pink Footed Geese

Wave after wave of pink footed geese fly over the Holkham Walled Garden early in the morning. They have recently arrived on the north winds from Greenland to overwinter here. They cross the Holkham Walled Garden on their way from the marshes to the nearby fields to feed on the sugar beet tops left by the farmers. This  farming article  link explains  the delicate and threatened relationship between the thousands of birds in the area and the sugar beet harvest. 

Estimates vary but it is thought that over 60,000 of these birds are  currently around the Holkham Beach area, about a third of the world population. Their wonderful noisy fly pasts are a backdrop to the work in the garden.


This short video captured the early birds at daybreak over the north garden wall.