Hedgecutter Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 4 minutes ago, Rizzo said: Is that not a goosander rather than a mergancer? We've a few on the canal just now. As far as I'm aware, goosander is just another name for the common merganser. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 It's a goosander, not a (red-breasted) merganser. Confusingly, in the US a goosander is called a merganser, or possibly a common merganser. Here's my best drake merganser photie, taken just last week. ... and the slightly less striking red-head, from the same outing: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 2 minutes ago, sugna said: It's a goosander, not a (red-breasted) merganser. Confusingly, in the US a goosander is called a merganser, or possibly a common merganser. Here's my best drake merganser photie, taken just last week. ... and the slightly less striking red-head, from the same outing: That actually highlights what I was going to say - the original photo is a female goosander, with the clearly defined white throat and generally less scruffy appearance than the female RBM which always look a bit more bedraggled to me 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 4 minutes ago, Hillonearth said: That actually highlights what I was going to say - the original photo is a female goosander, with the clearly defined white throat and generally less scruffy appearance than the female RBM which always look a bit more bedraggled to me Yes, the lack of neatness is (I think) the second biggest indicator of (RB) merganser-ness. The biggest clue is usually that they're not usually on rivers, compared to goosanders. In the case of those photos, I was explaining that point to my non-birding companion: "That's a 'sawbill' called a 'goosander'; from a distance it looks like a related species, but.... wait a minute, those birds are a bit scruffy..." I have had a very similar experience teaching my niece and nephew about tufties, only to clock that the bird we were looking at (12 feet away!) wasn't one. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanius Mullarkey Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 Goldfinches have reappeared. Thought the cat had got them. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mantis Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 (edited) The most noticeable thing for me is that in the Merganser, the beak is thinner and tilts slightly upwards. You can see this even at a distance. The Goosander’s bill has a definite downward hook on the end. Edited February 26, 2021 by The Mantis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamthebam Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 1 hour ago, sugna said: Yes, the lack of neatness is (I think) the second biggest indicator of (RB) merganser-ness. The biggest clue is usually that they're not usually on rivers, compared to goosanders. In the case of those photos, I was explaining that point to my non-birding companion: "That's a 'sawbill' called a 'goosander'; from a distance it looks like a related species, but.... wait a minute, those birds are a bit scruffy..." I have had a very similar experience teaching my niece and nephew about tufties, only to clock that the bird we were looking at (12 feet away!) wasn't one. Goldeneyes look a bit like tufties but (obviously) they don't have the tuft 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 1 hour ago, tamthebam said: Goldeneyes look a bit like tufties but (obviously) they don't have the tuft I'll look out a photo I took at the time, and invite guesses. I'm becoming a convert to duck goldeneyes. Same big heid shape, and golden eye, but subtler plumage. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 54 minutes ago, sugna said: I'll look out a photo I took at the time, and invite guesses. I'm becoming a convert to duck goldeneyes. Same big heid shape, and golden eye, but subtler plumage. There were loads up at Hiogganfield last week when I went up to see the Iceland Gull - the males were in full display mode doing that weird head-bobbing thing they do...they're quite indiscriminate though, as one of them was trying to interest the female Smew that's been there all winter into some inter-species lovin'... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 4 hours ago, sugna said: ... teaching my niece and nephew about tufties, only to clock that the bird we were looking at (12 feet away!) wasn't one. Found it. When it's in the middle of other tufties, it looks enough like a tuftie to get away with it for a minute or so. Head shape (inc. nae-tuft) and bill are quite different, of course. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 1 hour ago, sugna said: Found it. When it's in the middle of other tufties, it looks enough like a tuftie to get away with it for a minute or so. Head shape (inc. nae-tuft) and bill are quite different, of course. Looks like a ring necked duck, might be wrong. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 27 minutes ago, Rizzo said: Looks like a ring necked duck, might be wrong. You're not wrong, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printer Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 6 hours ago, sugna said: I have had a very similar experience teaching my niece and nephew about tufties I bet they loved that! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamthebam Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 1 hour ago, sugna said: Found it. When it's in the middle of other tufties, it looks enough like a tuftie to get away with it for a minute or so. Head shape (inc. nae-tuft) and bill are quite different, of course. Seems to be a ring necked duck. Which is found in North America. Wikipedia says it is a regular but rare visitor to Western Europe so you've done quite well spotting that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 42 minutes ago, printer said: I bet they loved that! It was the younger niece and nephew, so their natural respect for me got me through it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sugna Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 43 minutes ago, tamthebam said: Seems to be a ring necked duck. Which is found in North America. Wikipedia says it is a regular but rare visitor to Western Europe so you've done quite well spotting that. It had been seen around the Lothians a day or two before, but I hadn't picked up on that - or even what one looked like. Then we strolled down to Inverleith Pond and I gave my masterclass in dabbling duck misidentification. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mantis Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 12 hours ago, Hillonearth said: There were loads up at Hiogganfield last week when I went up to see the Iceland Gull - the males were in full display mode doing that weird head-bobbing thing they do... This kind of thing... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printer Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 10 hours ago, sugna said: It was the younger niece and nephew, so their natural respect for me got me through it. I thought that must be the case. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 29 minutes ago, The Mantis said: This kind of thing... That duck would get a game up front for hearts with an act like that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 11 hours ago, tamthebam said: Seems to be a ring necked duck. Which is found in North America. Wikipedia says it is a regular but rare visitor to Western Europe so you've done quite well spotting that. There's been another drake RND appearing here and there across Glasgow and the spam belt of East Dunbartonshire since last winter as well...I'd seen it up at Mugdock Loch out past Milngavie where it stayed longest, but it's also spent spells at a couple of wee lochs in Bearsden and even at Victoria Park and Bingham's Pond at Gartnavel Hospital. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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