The Goosander is a fish eating diving duck, found on rivers, reservoirs or small lakes. It is rare to see them out at sea but they spend time here in the summer to moult, and I have seen several from the beach at Druridge Bay (this one was on the North Pool). The male and female are normally quite different, the female with a red-brown head. and the male is white with a deep green head. However, in the summer eclipse period, the males look the same as the females.

Confusingly, the females also look like female Red-breasted mergansers. There are several key differences though - Goosanders have white chin, a sharp contrast between red neck and white chest, and their bills have a downwards slope compared to the Mergansers slight upturn. Goosander's bills are hooked at the end and they have serrated edges like teeth, which is why these and similar birds are known as sawbills.