The availability of miniaturised platform transmitter terminals (PTTs) in the 1980s and 1990s revolutionised the study of avian migration. Amongst the first studies using satellite telemetry on geese was that conducted by Gudmundur Gudmundsson, Thomas Alerstam and co-workers on this population in the mid-1990s. In this study (Gudmundsson et al. 1995), X birds were tracked from western Iceland for X days.




30g ARGOS GPS PTT-100 as fitted to a number of Brent Geese between 2005 and 2008. Note the solar panel which recharges the unit and theoretically gives a lifetime of over 1 year; Photo: Kendrew Colhoun.

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Between 2002 and 2008 we have tracked 32 individual Brent Geese, tracking individuals from Ireland (n=8), Iceland (n=21) and Canada (n=3).

2002 - 6 birds tracked from Iceland: Oscar, Hugh, Major Ruttledge, Austin, Kerry & Arnthor

2004 - 3 birds tracked from Iceland: Cuan, Magnus & Erik

2005 - 4 birds tracked from SE Ireland: Finnur, Rowan, Mac & Monty; 6 birds tracked from Iceland: Geysir*, Resolute*, Homer, Espie, Lagan & Myrar (Supergoose NI; * using new GPS solar Microwave Telemetry PTTs); 3 birds tracked from Canada: Klinger, Hawkeye & Radar (implanted PTTs)

2006 - 4 birds tracked from Ireland: Alberto & Douglas (Tralee), Floyd & Howard (Strangford; BBC Spring/Autumnwatch); 6 birds tracked from Iceland: Orville, Earhart, Louis, Clark Brent, Hermes & Arthur

2002 Tracking

6 individuals were tracked from Iceland in May 2002 through a project supported by National Geographic and the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. The individuals were named Oscar (DSyy), Hugh (FFyy), Major Ruttledge (FIyy), Austin (DPyy), Kerry (FLyy) and Arnthor (DXyy), all from a catch at Alftanes on 19th May.



Kerry the goose found dead having been shot during a hunting trip to SE Bathurst Island. The bird was tracked by Sean Boyd and Maynard Axelsson to an Inuit hunter's house in Resolute Bay, Cornwallis Island! Photo: Sean Boyd, CWS.

2004 Tracking

Using returned PTTs from the 2002 individuals since refurbished, three further units were fitted to Brent at Alftanes, Iceland in May 2004 - Cuan (TXyy), Magnus (HSyy) and Erik (UByy) on 18th and 20th May.

2005 Tracking

Recovery of further units from 2002 and 2004 and supplemented by funding from BBC NI, The Quarry Products Association, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Canadian WIldlife Service, National Parks & Wildlife Service and The Heritage Council, we tracked in three episodes in 2005. 4 individuals were fitted with tags in Wexford, SE Ireland on 1st April 2005 (Finnur AAly, Rowan BBly, Mac AZly & Monty BZly), and 6 from Alftanes in SW Iceland on 18th May (the original Supergeese: Geysir BTly, Resolute BKly, Homer BSly, Espie CAly, Lagan CBly & Myrar CCly). Then later in the Canadian Arctic on 10th August 2005, implanted units were fitted to Klinger, Hawkeye & Radar.



2H Heart Blue, one of three adult male Brent fitted with a surgically implanted satellite tag. The procedure was performed by a qualified veterinarian in field conditions at Reindeer Bay, Bathurst Island in August 2005. This picture was taken on the Cunnigar Pitch & Putt, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford; Photo:

Kendrew Colhoun and Gudmundur Gudmundsson fitting a PTT to one of the 'Supergeese' in Iceland - May 2005; Daniel Bergmann



Finnur the goose before release, Wexford Slobs 1 April 2005; Photo: Alyn Walsh, NPWS.

'Howard' (CPry) staging in western Iceland. This individual was carrying a 30 g Microwave Telemetry ARGOS GPS PTT-100, caught in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland (April 2006) and recaught (PTT removed) in spring 2007; Photo: Alyn Walsh, NPWS.

2006 Tracking

A total of 10 further birds were tracked from spring 2006, four from Ireland and 6 from Iceland. Catches in Tralee, Co. Kerry, SW Ireland on 3rd April and Strangford, Co. Down, NE Ireland on 8th April enabled us to fit units to two birds at each site - Alberto (SBry) and Douglas (KCry) at Tralee, and Floyd (KHry) and Howard (CPry) on Strangford.
Later in Iceland on 14th-15th May we fitted tags to 6 individuals - Orville (ACry), Earhart (U2ry), Louis (SHry), Clark Brent (ITry), Hermes (XLry) and Arthur (FTry).






Lights, camera, action. Film crew with Brent in the background during filming of Supergoose. Photo: Daniel Bergmann.

30g PTT-100 GPS units with harnesses prepared and accompanying leg rings for two individuals; Photo: Kendrew Colhoun, IBGRG/WWT.









Arriving Brent Geese off the north coast of Northern Ireland (Co. Antrim) in October 2006; Photo: Geoff Campbell, NIEA.



Series of images of Brent arriving off the North Antrim (Northern Ireland) coastline in autumn. These flocks seem to fly low over the sea and climb to cross the coastal cliffs, making a bee-line for Strangford Lough; Photo: Geoff Campbell, NIEA.