Richard Bell's Wild West Yorkshire nature diary

Goldeneye & Goosander

Saturday, 27th January, 2007
goosander
ON THE RIVER, on the new walk I described yesterday, Barbara and I spotted a goosander and a goldeneye. I’ve often seen goosanders fly up to this straighter, deeper stretch of river above the old, partially ruined, weir but until yesterday didn’t realise that I could get up there and take a closer look.

goldeneyeI think the goldeneye is my favourite duck; so neat and I like the male’s head-nodding display. The mallard drake is more colourful of course but the goldeneye is sharper and more striking and it reminds me of wild places.

long-tailed titThe sparrowhawk called in our garden as usual on his rounds and it was good to see long-tailed tits back again, at the feeder in the front garden.

sparrowhawkMy trainers aren’t quite as long as they appear here; I changed viewpoint as I drew, changing the perspective halfway.

trainers