Brent geese arrived late on the North Dublin coast this winter. In shades of ‘back to the future’, this used to be the normal arrival pattern here: 50 years ago, no self-respecting brent goose would be seen off Malahide or Portmarnock until Christmas week. ‘Brent’ comes from Old Norse, meaning ‘burned’; these small grey-and- white geese resemble lumps of charred wood. The pale-bellied brent goose, probably the world’s most northerly breeding bird, nests on remote uninhabited islands in Arctic Canada. Devoted brent parents believe in education.

Source: Irish Examiner February 05, 2026 16:35 UTC