Lemmings driving geese to our harbour
The population of a high-profile bird species in Chichester Harbour is soaring.
And it could be down to a corresponding boom in the population of lemmings – the small furry mammals reputed to rush over cliffs and drown during migration – in the Arctic.
Brent goose numbers peaked at 12,171 last year, the second-highest figure ever recorded in the harbour, and surpassed only by a count of 12,647 in 1993-94.
Brent geese breed in the Arctic and return to the harbour during the winter months, and a Harbour Conservancy report said their breeding success was strongly linked to predation, and the availability of alternative prey. Hungry Arctic predators turn to Brent geese chicks and eggs when other prey is scarce.
"When populations of small rodents such as lemmings are high, Arctic breeding birds tend to have correspondingly high breeding success," said the report. It added other wildfowl had also had a reasonable year, with increasing trends in mallard, pintail and wigeon.
Numbers of goldeneye and teal seemed to have stabilised after recent declines, but numbers of shelduck had continued to plummet, with a 50 per cent decline in ten years.
After a gap of decades, otters have once again been recorded in the harbour. There were three sightings in one week around East Head and Mill Rythe area.
An Atlantic grey seal was also spotted.
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Weather for Midhurst
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
