Great Northern Diver

At Stanwick GP on 11th November and uncharacteristically short-staying. They are not annual but November is the peak month for arrivals in the county and this one’s a bit special on two counts. Firstly it’s a first for Stanwick, which appears never to have been visited by any species of diver before. Secondly, it’s an adult.

Adult Great Northern Diver, Stanwick GP, 11th November 2015 (Bob Bullock)
Adult Great Northern Diver, Stanwick GP, 11th November 2015 (Bob Bullock)
Adult Great Northern Diver, Stanwick GP, 11th November 2015 (Bob Bullock)
Adult Great Northern Diver, Stanwick GP, 11th November 2015 (Bob Bullock)
Adult Great Northern Diver, Stanwick GP, 11th November 2015 (Bob Bullock)
Adult Great Northern Diver, Stanwick GP, 11th November 2015 (Bob Bullock)

Pretty plain upperparts without all those neatly pale-fringed feathers.  Nearly all those which visit the county are juvenile/first-winters and they frequently linger on into the winter, with Pitsford Reservoir producing 53% of the records over the past 30 years.

Northamptonshire Great Northern Divers. Occurrence pattern for the past 30 years, based upon arrival date. November is the peak month for arrivals.
Northamptonshire Great Northern Divers. Occurrence pattern for the past 30 years, based upon arrival date. November is the peak month for arrivals. Background image: juvenile Great Northern Diver, Pitsford Res, 24th December 2013 (Mike Alibone)

This one did a moonlight flit. Where is it now? Bizarrely, a juvenile was discovered today on Mary’s Lake at Earls Barton GP. These two will be about the 42nd and 43rd records for the county.

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