Note concernant les oies sauvages au littoral Belge

The author who has been observing and shooting geese on the Belgian coast near the estuary of the Scheldt, during more than twenty years, kept careful records of his observations. His conclusions are:1. The number of greylag and beangeese seen in this area did not change.2. The number of pink-feet remained more or less static, but during the last six years there is a notable decrease compared with the years between 1930 and 1940.3. The number of white-fronted geese increased tremendously. Between 1928 and 1933 not a single one was shot. After 1933 a fewwere seen and the first real invasion took place in the severe winter of 1939-1940. Since 1944 the white fronted became far the commonest goose in this area.4. Barnacle geese appear only when the winter is severe. They do not seem to diminish in number.5. Brent geese were common in cold winters in the past. A huge invasion took place in 1937 after a heavy snowfall in the North. Since about ten years the brent disappeared completely. Not a single one has been seen since 1942, not even during the very severe frost in 1946-1947

Modification des conditions d'hivernage des oies sauvages dans les polders de Flandre occidentale, autour de la réserve du Zwin (Belgique), et de Flandre zélandaise (Pays-Bas)

This wintering increased considerably, due to 3 new factors: (1) the cultivation of an important acreage of rape, (2) the new methods of harvesting sugar beets and potatoes, (3) the management of the water level in the Zwin, making this sanctuary and ideal sleeping-place for wild geese. Regular counts have been made during the winter 1971-1972, for following species: Anser anser (max. 760), A. fabalis rossicus (max. 560), A. fabalis brachyrhynchus (max. 92), A. albifrons (max. 210, but max. 600 when the geese of Damme have been disturbed). The present status of each of these 4 species of wild geese in and around Zwin is discussed