The Goose Watch has proved very popular and sold out extremely quickly. We regret that we do not hold a reserve list, but please keep an eye out for further events in 2026!
We're delighted to announce the return of our popular Goose Watch event at SOC's HQ at Waterston House on Tuesday 30 September. We'll be joined for an early evening talk by John Harrison, the Warden of Aberlady Bay Local Nature Reserve, and refreshments will be served.
From early September, Pink-footed Geese start to return from their breeding grounds in Iceland and Greenland, and many will break their journey in East Lothian before heading further south to overwinter. The sight and sound of thousands of geese coming in to roost overnight in Aberlady Bay is a spectacle not to be missed, and is one of the autumn highlights of the reserve.
We'll start the evening with tea and coffee, served from 4.30pm. This will be followed at 5pm by a highly informative and humorous talk by John which will last around an hour. He'll give an insight into their ecology, tips on how to identify them from other species of geese that can be found in the area, and look at how numbers have changed over the past few years.
For those who wish to stay on a bit later, we'll move out onto the decking behind Waterston House to keep an eye out for any birds coming in for the evening. While this event has been timed to coincide with the peak in migration, nature can be unpredictable and varies year on year, so it'll be interesting to see how numbers compare to previous autumns. Binoculars and telescopes will be provided, but you may wish to bring your own. We aim to finish the event around 7pm.
Places are limited to 25 so book early to avoid disappointment! Once your place is booked, we regret that we will be unable to offer a refund.
For directions to Waterston House, please visit our Getting Here and Opening Hours page.
