Two possible Grey-bellied Brent Geese on Scalby Lodge Pond over the last few days. Please take a look at the images below, any information regarding the identification of these birds would be appreciated.

Email info to: nickaddey@scarboroughbirding.co.uk

Links to other images of Grey-bellied Brants:

http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?f=89966

http://www.birdsireland.com/images/2006/april/GreybelliedBrent.jpg

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Richc28/GreyBrant?authkey=r4TUXpFCfkc

http://www.ecoinfo.org/env_ind/region/brantgeese/images/Greybelly_Brant.gif  (seems like one of the points is large white neck markings similar to Black Brant - which the SLP birds have?)

Richard Millington of Birding World commented "given this is a pair, and the location, the odds are overwhelmingly in favour of hrota. I think to be out-of-range Gray-bellied Brant candidates, they need better collars, a more nigricans feel to the back, and rather more dark scaling on the belly...

It has been shown that some hrota do get a dusky fore-belly, really rather similar to these two birds (such birds are not tricky to find in hrota flocks in Ireland)."

All images taken by Dave Mansell ©

Martin Garner, author of an identification paper on Grey-bellied Brants in Birding World (Vol 10. 11-15), has commented that he thinks the geese are Pale-bellied Brents. They certainly look straight forward Pale-bellied in Dave Mansell's flight shots, but when settled look rather intermediate between Pale-bellied and Dark-bellied. Hopefully we'll be able to publish a more detailed explanation from Martin in the near future.