Barnacle geese Branta leucopsis beginning their spring migration from their over-wintering grounds on Islay and western Scotland to Greenland where they breed. Two separate populations of barnacle geese over-winter in Britain; the second group migrate from Svalbard to the Solway estuary in huge flocks of some 27,000 birds, representing almost the entire population. With a loud clamour on taking flight, flocks form ragged, irregular packs. Long before their arctic breeding grounds were discovered in the early 20th century, it was thought that barnacle geese grew from marine crustaceans washed in from the ocean on floating timbers, hence the name ‘goose barnacle’.mark
Mark Hamblin has worked as a freelance nature photographer since 1995, creating images for international photographic agencies; providing specialist guiding services and working on multi-media conservation projects.
Mark has published and collaborated on several books including Wild Peak, Wild Land - Images of nature from the Cairngorms, Tooth & Claw and 2020VISION. He was also a contributing photographer for the Wild Wonders of Europe project working on stories in Lithuania and The Netherlands.
Mark is a director of the social enterprise company, Wild Media Foundation, who produce communications material for a range of clients as well as working on their own projects. Their current project, SCOTLAND: The Big Picture amplifies the case for a wilder Scotland, and Mark is part of a team of photographers and videographers currently gathering material for a range of media products.
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