"The Meaning of Geese" by Nick Acheson

I have just finished reading “The Meaning of Geese” by Nick Acheson and to say that I enjoyed it immensely is an under-statement.

Published in February 2023, the book tells the story of 7 locked down months in 2020/21 during which Nick cycled 1200 miles around his native north Norfolk on his mother's 40 year old bike in search of the great flocks of geese which visit the area during the autumn and winter months.

Gulp. In the winter lockdowns of 2020-21 I cycled 1,200 miles on my mother’s 40yo red bike, following Norfolk’s wild geese. The resulting book is out 9 Feb 2023. Many helped hugely, including @NHarnser @JamesRMcCallum1 @KaneBrides @jake_fiennes @HolkhamEstate pic.twitter.com/gzNJ3kQ301

— Nick Acheson (@themarshtit) October 14, 2022

BirdGuides - "The Meaning of Geese"

Not only did this book evoke my own memories of wintering geese in Norfolk with the poignant, vivid and lyrical writing on these remarkable birds and the locations and landscapes that they visit but I also learnt even more about their ecology.

I listened to Nick Acheson’s talk at the recent “rainfest and mudfest” called BirdFair (see here) and I had the opportunity to briefly speak with him before the event. He also kindly signed my copy of his book later on …. thank you!

I live in Essex so my main winter goose experience is mainly focused on the large numbers of Dark-bellied Brent Geese at the Essex Wildlife Trust reserves of EWT Blue House Farm and EWT Two Tree Island. In January 2022, I managed to see both a Red-breasted Goose and Black Brant amongst a large flock of Dark-bellied Brent Geese at South Woodham Ferrers in Essex in January 2022 (see here).

I have several birding visits to Norfolk each autumn/winter. My most recent memories are of Pink-footed Geese flying and calling in a pink dawn sky over Deepdale Camping and Rooms (see here) and the same species flying over Wild Ken Hill at The Gathering whilst Mary Colwell was speaking and David Gray playing and singing (see here). Both magical moments!

Elsewhere in the UK, I have previously had goose “fixes” at WWT Martin Mere in Lancashire, at WWT Caerlaverock and RSPB Mersehead on the Solway Firth and at RSPB Loch Gruinart and other sites on Islay.

Further afield, I visited the Netherlands in December 2019 prompted by the chapter in James Lowen’s “52 European Wildlife Weekends” (see here) and Iceland in June 2015 (see here). During my visit to Iceland, I did wonder if any of the Pink-footed Geese and Whooper Swans that I saw there were birds that I had previously seen during the winter in north Norfolk and at WWT Welney.

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