The bird of the moment is a Barrow’s goldeneye at Callander in Scotland. It has been there for several days, and was still there yesterday, swimming with common goldeneyes. The latter are quite widespread in Britain now, visiting us for the winter from the north. They are energetic diving duck, and the drake is very handsome, with a glossy green head, a brilliant yellow eye, and a round white patch on its cheek. Also noticeable is its very steep forehead. A few pairs nest in the Scottish Highlands each summer.
By contrast, Barrow’s goldeneye is an extremely rare visitor. The drake is similar to the ordinary goldeneye, but is distinguished by its shiny purple head, and a curved white streak coming down in front of its eye. Its forehead is practically vertical. It is a North American species, but there is a European outpost in Iceland, which is where this bird probably came from. Most of the Iceland birds nest on Lake Myvatn, a great lake which in summer is crowded with other birds exotic to us, such as whooper swans making their trumpeting cries and red-necked phalaropes bobbing by the shore.
DJM