Barnacle Goose on the snow

This is what we never see here in Finland. Branta leucopsis on the snow

 In the "continental" Europe I would guess it is a rather common scenery. Thanks to Jan Sevcik for these wonderful photos

Emergency lifting

Geese had to escape rapidly because of the approaching bicycle

The newer Finnish-Netherlands population of Branta leucopsis are thought to be descendants of the larger population of Novaya Zemlja. Though new (from 1975) this population is above 8,000 birds and counts

Geese fields

I think that the presence of the Barnacle geese benefits also the smaller birds (as below). The larger birds serve as a deterrent for the predators

Small invaders

Love triangle....A quarrel....Happy end

A love triangle?

The girl is mine!

It's not a girl! Go away!

Bye, losers!  Hello sweety!

We didn't like you anyways!

Geese and cows

Barnacle geese are, perhaps, the disturbing neighbors. But rather phlegmatic local cows do not seem to mind

Geese are training

The Barnacle geese are training in Helsinki, Finland.
The first flocks come from Lapland to the Southern Finland in the first days of August and the feed on rich fields and train till the late October. Then they depart for the wintering in the Netherlands

Barnacle Goose musical slideshow

The theme is Vivaldi's Concerto For Mandolin & Orchestra In C Major : Allegro 

Brave goose

The geese coming to Helsinki are rather habitual to humans. Even to the ones with big balls ;)