I took this photograph this afternoon at Turf Lock, where the Exeter Ship Canal joins the Exe Estuary. I had notoced several Mergansers yesterday, both males and a few, either females or 1st year males which are known as "Brown Heads", like the one pictured above.  I was very pleased to get as close to this bird as I did, because I thought it through at home and came up with a strategy that worked as you can see.  It wasn't without it's dramas though. In fact it was a weird scary altercation with a man of my age and his very, very aggressive wife. I had sat quietly by the lock as the bird came closer and closer fishing in the deep channel.  It was no more than 15/20 feet from me and I was enjoying watching it fishing.  Then suddenly a couple in their 60's arrived and even though they had a pair of binoculars, they were very noisey and obviously the Merganser did a "runner" as you would expect.  I tried not to be rude but made what I thought was a helpful coment to them that if they had just been a little more quiet they could have watched the bird, as I was, fishing and just in front of them. With that the man went absolutely ballistic and started saying that you people make me sick accompanied by all the usual swearing that people who have "lost the plot" use. They explained as they ranted, that I was crazy and miserable….. actually nothing further from the truth….. and kept on swearing at me and then the women started to try and poke me!  I ask you?  I packed up my gear and left the scene with the bird, who was by now on the way to Exmouth (4 miles away). What planet are some people on?

Anyway, Red Breasted Mergansers are diving "saw-billed" ducks who catch and eat fish. They are  similar to Gossanders that I have posted photos of recently, especially the females and young males. Heres a picture of a "Brownhead" Goosander for comparison.  As you can see, there is a clear demarcation line between the brown head in the Goosander (see below). In the Red-breasted Merganser above, the difference is not so distinct. Also, habitat is diagnostic. In the winter time Gossanders are  a river and lake bird, Mergansers are more likely to be found around the coast and in Estuaries.