Goldeneye and Goosanders

John C. writes: “Pit 60”, an old gravel pit in the lower Windrush Valley at Standlake is one of my favourite birding places, not only because it’s only a few miles from home, but because of the numbers of ducks you can see there.

I’m a fairly regular visitor although from Christmas until mid-January the area was well and truly flooded and quite inaccessible; it’s only been possible to get to both the hides in the last couple of weeks, but it’s been worth it: there have been, quite literally, thousands of overwintering ducks. Someone recorded over 930 Pintail only a couple of weeks ago (I don’t have the patience to count!).

When Sue and I went there on the 21st of January – a windy Sunday afternoon – we were pleased to see several Goldeneye amongst the many Wigeon, Teal, Pintails and Coots. One of them was very obliging and came close enough for us to get a good look at him.

I dropped in there again last Thursday afternoon. There were, perhaps, fewer ducks but a couple of Goosanders near the Langley’s Lane hide. I followed my usual circuit and went on up the the North Shore Hide, getting there about 4:30. When I looked back I could easily count at least eighteen Goosanders – all down by the other hide but easily recognisable even through my second-best binoculars by their hooked bills and the white plumage of the males. They must have all arrived whilst I was walking between the two hides. Something that we have noticed several times when we have been there is that the Goosanders all arrive very shortly before sunset. The strange thing is that we never actually see them come in – they just appear! How do they do that? How do they know when no-one is looking?

John Cobb 2 February 2024