Last year's bird gave unbeatable views as it cruised around with the other waterfowl looking for handouts. You know it is a good view of a sawbill when the serrated bill is visible with the naked eye...
Thursday 3 February 2011
Red-breasted Merganser
The weather was poor in Edinburgh this afternoon and at one point I saw a sawbill duck cutting through the rainy squalls. Just a brief view through the window, no optics to hand and visibility poor but at first I felt that it was most likely a female Goosander. Then I remembered that one year and one day ago, this adult female Red-breasted Merganser was on St Margaret's Loch in Holyrood Park (adult assumed based on bright bare parts?). So, I suppose there is a chance that today's Mergus sp. could be the latter species. Maybe it will fly past tomorrow...
Last year's bird gave unbeatable views as it cruised around with the other waterfowl looking for handouts. You know it is a good view of a sawbill when the serrated bill is visible with the naked eye...
Last year's bird gave unbeatable views as it cruised around with the other waterfowl looking for handouts. You know it is a good view of a sawbill when the serrated bill is visible with the naked eye...
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3 comments:
Was not aware, or had forgotten, that you had also noted this bird. It's the one that was published in BirdWatch with the note on taking bread, your images would have been much better than mine! Stumbled across another pic of same online, link on my blog post:
http://sedgewarbler.blogspot.com/2010/01/wknd-23-24-january.html
Hi Stephen
I didn't know you had published a note on this, though I do remember your LBN post. Yet another publication I should subscribe to!
Great bird, will check your link now.
Geoff
Goosander reported today in nearby Inch Park, so presumably the brief sighting was of this species...
Geoff
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