The Goosander 
91 
the western side it winters from British Columbia to Southern California (see also 
American and Canadian authors). It also occurs in Bermuda. 
Habits. — Goosanders are very hardy birds, and will support a very low degree of 
temperature provided there is sufficient spaces of water in which to swim and dive. I 
have seen small flocks and single birds diving amongst the great blocks of ice on the 
River Tay when all other ducks had been driven south. Even in Iceland large flocks 
spend the winter in narrow inlets of the sea, and do not leave the warm springs of the 
island even in the severest winters (Faber). 
When migrating Goosanders generally fly at a great height in small parties in a wedge 
formation. They seem to prefer fresh-water rivers and lakes abounding in trout, having 
a special preference for running water. They are not averse to very rocky rivers, provided 
they have deep quiet pools at frequent intervals, but prefer medium-sized or large rivers of 
a somewhat broken character, and often choose their feeding grounds in open flats of the 
river from which a good view of all approaches is obtainable. On the whole the Goosander 
is rather a shy bird, much more so than the Red-breasted Merganser, and will take alarm 
at the presence of man at a considerable distance. This is especially the case when they 
are found frequenting large lakes or open estuaries, and here they are very difficult to 
approach, flying away whilst the boat or intruder is still far out of gun-shot range. On 
rivers they are equally shy, but the fact that they invariably fly immediately above the 
water and at no great height, causes them to pass close to the fisherman whether he is on 
the bank or in a boat. Whilst salmon-fishing in the Tay in early spring, I have often had 
Goosanders pass the boat within a few yards, but if any movement is made they will shoot 
suddenly up into the air and try and avoid the presence of man as far as the limits of the 
river will allow them. On the rivers they are often to be seen diving on the edge of very 
strong currents frequented by small trout and salmon par, and they can make good head- 
way even in considerable rapids, though they never dive in such spots as a Harlequin 
would frequent. The larger Highland rivers seem to be their principal habitat in our 
islands in winter and spring, but I have sometimes seen large gatherings of Goosanders 
both on Loch Tay and Loch Leven in early spring. These were probably migrants, of 
which the majority would leave us later for more northern waters. I shall not readily 
forget one day in March when the late Sir Graham Montgomery asked me to destroy a 
Heronry on the Castle Island at Loch Leven. These birds had increased to an alarming 
extent on the lake and were killing such vast quantities of young trout that a raid had to 
be undertaken to reduce their numbers. There were about thirty nests in the small clump 
of firs at the north-east end of the island, so I spent the morning in hiding, killing some 
twenty-seven birds. In the afternoon the wind rose from the north-east and all the Goos- 
anders on the lake — there must have been over 1000 — began moving from the east to the 
west. They passed the corner of the island in small flocks of from six to fifteen, and so 
far as I could see they were all adults. Many of the flocks came within shot of the stones 
where I lay concealed, and in the course of an hour I killed six, which were all the speci- 
mens I required. I have never seen such numbers of Goosanders as on that day, and 
heard from Maunderson the boatman that they all left about ten days later. 
The flight is usually performed very close to the water when travelling upstream. 
When taking long flights down-stream Goosanders often rise to a considerable height, far 
