Geese check out Newport's retail scene

The birds were obviously checking out the nearby Tesco, MacDonalds and Cineworld and looked completely at ease amongst the crocus, traffic signage and floral displays on a traffic island at the Junction of Newport Retail Park and Queensway Meadows, Newport ,South Wales. As project landscape architect for a three phased development of Queensway Meadows back in the 1980s I was pleased that these winter visitors, probably all the way from Iceland, had chosen to rest up within one of my schemes. Although the landscape on the roundabout has been revised quite considerably since I was first involved it was the last place I thought I’d see these birds. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised as the wetland reserve is just down the road and Queensway Meadows is on the edge of the Gwent Levels (SPA, RAMSAR, SAC & three SSSIs) and forms an interface between Newport’s south east flanks and the ancient estuarine levels.