In case you haven't noticed, it's a tad windy. I've just been around the reserve to open hides and feed the birds, water voles and mice this morning in the gator, as there was no way I was going to attempt it on my bike. All the waterfowl are hiding where they can, mainly behind reeds. The only species brave enough to venture out into open water seem to be the Goldeneye.
One of our female Goldeneye, by Mark Stokeld.
Goldeneye are one of those ducks that breed in holes in trees in North America and Europe, and the chicks have jump out to the ground. About 27,000 of them winter in and around Britain, and we have 7 of them on the main reserve with another 3 at Dorman's Pool.
In the early 1970's, nestboxes were put up for Goldeneye in the Speyside area, on woodland edge near water. These have been very successful with over 200 pairs now breeding. Those birds appear to stay locally in winter, so it looks like wintering Saltholme Goldeneye originate from Scandinavia and Russia. They must be wondering why they bothered to fly all this way.