YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q

I took some photos of male and female Goosander (right) on a local reservoir in Hull in March. I would like to know is they will breed here or are they just passing through. David Mounce, via email

A

BirdGuides News Manager Sam Viles replies: “Goosanders first bred in the UK in 1871, spreading out of Scotland across northern England and into Wales during the 1970s and now reaching as far as south-west England. The species can be seen along the upland rivers of northern and south-west England, Scotland and Wales throughout the summer, where they breed in holes in trees along the riverbank. During the winter months, they tend to move to lakes, gravel pits, reservoirs and sheltered estuaries across the UK. It is highly likely that your birds on the outskirts of Hull will be on the move to their breeding grounds in upland Britain.”