Geese get new Southsea refuge spot after snubbing field

The birds snubbed the enclosed section of Castle Field on Southsea seafront

A seafront space will not be closed off to the public to create a refuge for brent geese again this year.

Castle Field in Southsea was expected to be be fenced off every winter for the next five years - the duration of ongoing sea defence works.

The space was shunned by the birds despite decoys and devices giving off goose calls to entice them in.

This year Ministry of Defence (MoD) land will be fenced off for the geese from October to March instead.

Fake geese were installed in the field to try and entice migratory birds to the refuge over the winter

Portsmouth City Council was required by Natural England to make a provision for the birds, to offset the use of Clarence Playing Field one of the birds' usual grounds - which is being used for the Southsea Coastal Scheme.

"A very small number were seen using Castle Field during winter 2020-21," the council said.

The geese, which arrived in large flocks from Siberia in early October, instead took up residence at the Tenth Hole golf course and nearby Portsmouth Cricket Club.

New sea defences are being built from Old Portsmouth to Eastney to help reduce the risk of flooding to more than 10,000 homes and 700 businesses

The new refuge area near Clarence Pier will be fenced off over the winter months until the completion of the project in 2026.

The £131m project to strengthen the sea defences includes building walls, raising land and widening beaches along a 4.5km (2.8-mile) stretch of coastline.