Last Sunday was World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) - a ’global celebration’ of birds and nature aimed at developing international co-operation to help conserve migratory species.

The organisers describe migratory birds as ’global ambassadors of nature â?¦ connecting different places across the planet like no other animals’.

Most of the Isle of Man’s migratory birds, such as the swifts and the swallows, have now left for warmer climates, with many undertaking perilous journeys of many hundreds of miles to places as far away as South Africa.

The graylag goose, though, is one of the last to leave and this lagging behind accounts for the ’lag’ in its name.

Many move south or west in the winter, but some are resident and live here all year round.

What does a graylag goose look like?

As the ancestor of most domestic geese, it shares a similar body shape in that it is one of the largest of the goose family, with a rotund, bulky body, and thick and long neck, and a large head a bill. Their legs and feet are pink and their bills are either pink or orange; and their plumage is greyish brown in colour with pale fringes on the feathers.

Numbers of graylag are swelled at this time of year by visiting migrants from parts of the UK and from Iceland, who leave their summer breeding grounds and spend some time living alongside our feral population.

It’s one of the wonders of autumn to see hundreds of geese flying in a ’V’ formation across the morning and evening skies, often at quite low levels, constantly communicating with each other in a cacophony of honking.

The birds then settle on heathland and in fields, ideally newly-ploughed ones, to feed on grasses, roots and vegetation with their short bills.

Why do geese fly in a ’V’ formation (also known as a skein)?

The most likely explanation for this behaviour is that the formation reduces the energy needed to fly, with each bird riding on the air current caused by the wings of the bird in front.

Saving energy in this way could make the difference between surviving a migration, or not.

Given the bird in front doesn’t benefit, each bird in the group will take its turn as the lead bird in an amazing display of aerial acrobatics.

You may not consider the blackbird to be a migratory species, given we have so many in our gardens all year round, but many fly across the North Sea at this time of year.

They leave colder climates in Scandinavia to settle in the UK, although some continue with their journeys further south to France and Spain.

While these birds are arriving in the UK, many resident breeding blackbirds will be on the move too, heading south in search of milder conditions.

So, it is likely that you could spot Scandinavian blackbirds feeding alongside local birds, and whilst they are difficult to tell apart it is just about possible with careful observation.

Male Scandinavian blackbirds are generally longer winged and have a dusky black appearance, whereas the local birds are generally shorter winged and a glossier black.

Female Scandinavian birds will be longer winged too, and somewhat darker than their shorter winged, warm-brown resident cousins.

Autumn is a truly magical time for bird spotting, and for marveling at the migratory species and the journeys they have been on - their navigation skills and their stamina.

For more information about how WMBD, and how it is endeavouring to raise awareness of migratory birds and their conservation, visit www.worldmigratorybirdday.org.