New duck

Funnily enough, we were up at Lindisfarne three or four years ago. Saw a group of ‘sea ducks’ and I assumed they were mergansers. They were in eclipse ‘season’ which added interest! From memory, we only stopped to get drinks out. Took the opportunity to also get bingos onto them…….they turned out to be goosanders. Wasn’t expecting that, then remembered an Exe estuary cruise a few years earlier……I pointed out an unmistakable male goosander and the guides were very surprised……they don’t normally get that close to the sea there apparently……in the tidal section…..I am certainly more used to seeing them on inland rivers or reservoirs in Winter, but would definitely not discount them on seawater.

In reply to Robbo:

That's interesting - and this has nothing to do with this duck, but... I once zoomed in on a Moorhen quite happily making its way virtually half-way across the River Mersey before coming back to shore!

But regarding this 'duck' - it's a very nice photo of a bridge

In reply to Robbo:

Robbo,years ago we rarely saw R B Merganser on the East coast and very rarely found Goosander on the coast things all changed nowadays not that this solves the i d problem though just me rambling on

Pete

Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can

Hi, I have seen Goosander's on that stretch of the river a few years ago. They have also been filmed catching fish there on some nature program awhile back.

Tony

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wherryman/

Oh no, I didn’t realise I attached the wrong photo. I went back to the bridge anyway a few hours later and they are definitely goosanders. Thanks for the help everyone, berwick is really beautiful too

In reply to Robbo:

I went to Lindisfarne yesterday, I didn’t expect there to be so many different waders around the causeway. I counted 9 wader species in one small area, some of which I’d never seen (I live very far inland)

In reply to ellis187:

Luckily it wasn't a photo of you checking a mole or something