The first arrivals of a huge annual influx of pink-footed geese have touched down at Montrose Basin.
The early birds are part of a mass migration of hundreds of thousands of geese from Greenland and Iceland who come to Britain to spend the winter.
Up to 5,500 geese have already been counted by rangers on the Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve at the Basin, with numbers expected to swell over the coming weeks.
The birds rest in Montrose on their way to wetlands in the south of England.
In October 2016, SWT counted a record estimate of 90,000 pink-footed geese on the Basin.
Ranger Anna Cowie said the geese appeared to be making an early start to migration this year, possibly as a result of favourable northerly winds and a full moon towards the start of the month.
“The growing cacophony of pink-footed geese brings the Basin to life each autumn,” she said.
“This early migration means we may not see the large peak numbers that have been previously recorded, but we are still expecting them to put on a great spectacle at dawn and dusk.”
The Basin visitor centre has extended opening hours on a number of dates to allow visitors to enjoy the dawn and dusk spectacle, but places must be booked online at www.scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/montrosebasin
