first-winter male Goosander.

Displaying Goosanders, RW, 20th Feb

I watched the displaying Goosanders for 7 hours today and some of the action is below. One minute they are happily feeding then suddenly all hell breaks loose as the dominant males defend their chosen females. Something that i hadn't appreciated before was the lovely soft nasal croaking that the males gave usually when together. One first-winter male was present but he generally kept his head down apart from the occaisonal sky point display.
Click on photos for a slightly bigger one.

Otterburn, Northumberland, Feb.

A few days wandering the hills hoping for a few encounters with hunting Goshawks, my favorite and most special bird. The deep snow forced several Barn Owls to hunt all day and other highlights included a flock of 90 Reed Buntings with an attending Merlin, Red Squirrels and some lovely time spent watching confiding woodland birds.

More Barn Owls. I must admit i was slightly hoping a Goshawk would come along and snatch one out of the sky just like a Hobby takes a dragonfly.

Female Goshawk

A passing female Gos with a full stomach - hope it wasn't a Red Squirrel....

The snow reflecting up off the ground and the dark conifers behind this Barn Owl made for a stunning setting.

Great Spotted Woodpeckers.