Interesting Brent Goose...

Paul G and I did Dale/Marloes peninsula today, highlights includes a 1stW male Black Redstart in Dale (on roof of Townsend Cottages), as well as a Blackcap and numerous (continental?) Coal Tits, 5 Tufties at Bicton, and 17 Brents at the Gann. 16 were obviously pale-bellied (a mixture of adults and first-winters) but one (adult) was clearly not. It had a clearly darker grey/brown belly, all the way through the legs, but far more white on the flanks than any dark-bellied should show, and not as dark as dark-bellied either. The upperparts were perhaps a shade darker, and the white collar mark was clear but perhaps a little smaller than some of the adult pale-bellied with it. The question is, us this a Grey-bellied Brent? Two pics of today's bird above, plus one of a similar bird at Newgale in December 1996, which I've subsequently circulated to a few experts, but that one didn't receive a warm welcome for some reason. A few useful links for Grey-bellied:

http://www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/gallery/greybelliedbrentgoose.html

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=53126

http://www.birdsireland.com/pages/rare_bird_news/2006/april_photos.html (7th pic)

And, perhaps most informative, this article

http://www.oceanwanderers.com/IntrmBrantNY.html

Given that we know from previous ringing recoveries that our pale-bellied are moving from Northern Ireland to France and back, and that Grey-bellied turn up with pale-bellied in Northern Ireland, it's got to be possible!