Geese Flying Over Largo Bay

Walking along the old railway track, heard the noise of the geese before I saw them and then they appeared against the clouds in a constantly changing formation. The geese are a common sight in Largo at this time of year but seeing them always gives me a thrill.

Seeing the geese brought to mind a favourite poem written in 1915 (in Scots Angus dialect) 'The Wild Geese' by Violet Jacob which was hauntingly set to music by the Angus folksinger the late Jim Reid and appears on his solo album 'I saw the Wild Geese Flee'.

The Wild Geese

'Oh, tell me what was on yer road, ye roarin' Norland wind
As ye cam' blawin' frae the land that's niver frae my mind?
My feet they trayvel England, but I'm deein' for the north—'
'My man, I heard the siller tides rin up the Firth o' Forth.'

'Aye, Wind, I ken them well eneuch, and fine they fa' and rise,
And fain I'd feel the creepin' mist on yonder shore that lies,
But tell me, ere ye passed them by, what saw ye on the way ?'
'My man, I rocked the rovin' gulls that sail abune the Tay.'

'But saw ye naethin', leein' Wind, afore ye cam' to Fife?
There's muckle lyin' yont the Tay that's mair to me nor life.'
'My man, I swept the Angus braes ye haena trod for years—'
'O Wind, forgie a hameless loon that canna see for tears!—'

'And far abune the Angus straths I saw the wild geese flee,
A lang, lang skein o' beatin' wings wi' their heids towards the sea,
And aye their cryin' voices trailed ahint them on the air—'
'O Wind, hae maircy, haud yer whisht, for I daurna listen mair!'

Violet Jacob (1863-1946)

Brent Geese, Female Goosanders

There was a group of Brent Geese close to the shore in Largo Baythis morning. I hadn't seen them in this area before. Quite striking black and grey birds with pale underparts.

Recently there has been a group of female goosander in the harbour area. They are very similar to the female red-breasted merganser but I think these were goosander because there was a sharp outline to the brown colour at the neck.