I saw my first Goosander of the season at Attenborough Nature Reserve during a reasonably sunny spell on Monday 4th November.

Normally I would say this is a female, having a reddish head, but as it is a somewhat darker colour and lacking the ‘swept back’ look it might be a juvenile of either sex.

There is no doubt, however, that this duck (a Gadwall above) is female, (no comments please about her having her beak open!) and below is a definite male Common Pochard.