Geese numbers on Montrose Basin have dropped as low as 4500 over the last two months as sub-zero temperatures continue to drive the birds south.
Up to 30,000 geese usually spend all winter in the town but the latest readings from the Basin Wildlife Reserve showed just over 12,000 were in the area.
The monthly count for January is due to take place on Sunday, with ranger Adam McClure and a team of around 10 volunteers taking to the waterside armed with notepad and pen.
He said, “Our team is placed around the basin and we record the geese leaving in groups of what we call ‘skeins’.
“We then go back to the centre to add up our counts and assess them to provide an accurate picture of how many are on the basin.”
