RICHARD WILLIAMSON Nature Trails...March 31

The twins were flying together within a skein of other brents. Despite their unusual anatomy they did not seem disadvantaged and were keeping pace with the rest of their friends. This poses puzzles for scientists. For instance: how did the twins originate in the first place? They would surely have to come from a double-yolked egg.

Such a phenomenon is not that unusual.

Indeed, in the old days when hens were treated properly and allowed to live naturally in farmyards and meadows and not put in prison to lay endlessly, or else, one would come across the occasional double-yolker.

So prized were these larger-than-normal eggs that they were never allowed to hatch, but were boiled and given extra bread and butter for the lucky diner. If only farmers had thought of the consequences they might have doubled their flocks.

The second thing that worries scientists is whether the geese, joined at the tip (of their wings) might represent an echo of the species’ disorientation as a result of Cold War testing of H-bombs in the Russian arctic.

Many waders, ducks and geese returning in winter from the arctic shores did exhibit slight plumage alteration back then in the 1960s. However this problem has since vanished so can probably be discounted.

The twins will presumably find no difficulty migrating back to Russia this spring as they must have flown here right enough in the autumn.

It makes one wonder whether they get tired. After all, they appear to have two bodies, but only three wings between them. Most other geese couples have four wings between their two bodies.

Sussex has had its share of conundrums in other years at this time, as I have reported in this column before.

Some readers may remember the strange tale of the haggis eggs found in the heather of Iping Common.

Others may recall the story this time last year of the treacle mines at Slindon, which used to keep the villagers happy in the long winter evenings as they told this story to visitors in the pub before television.

As we turn to another month tomorrow, Friday, April 1, readers should be ready for tales of the unexpected in the countryside.

In my youth I remember the interesting documentary about the spaghetti harvest in fields around Naples, which BBC TV presenter Richard Dimbleby reported on.

Then there is the interesting phenomenon of the three million ceramic sunflower seeds that suddenly appeared in London. Why?