Jimmy Alexander has been carrying out a bird count for us for sometime now. He calls in on a Wednesday, stays for an hour, and counts what he sees in that time. Whilst we are waiting for some of the work to commence on the boardwalks and pathways, I thought it would be good to let you know what has actually been seen up there over the next couple of blogs. Interestingly, today's count include 4 Goosander - 4 male and 1 female. This is a first for our Wetlands.
I don't actually have a picture to show of this bird on our lagoons with me not being at work at the mo, so have "borrowed" a picture from The RSPB website. The top picture is the male and the other, the female.
These handsome diving ducks are a member of the sawbill family, so called because of their long, serrated bills, used for catching fish. A largely freshwater bird, the goosander first bred in the UK in 1871. It built up numbers in Scotland and then since 1970 it has spread across N England into wales, reaching SW England. Its love of salmon and trout has brought it into conflict with fishermen. It is gregarious, forming into flocks of several thousand in some parts of Europe.
So watch out our Koi Carps - I can't see many of these being left once our new residents find them!
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