It has been long known that the majority of British resident shelducks travel to Great Knechtsand, in the Heligoland Bight, off the German coast, to moult and then return to Britain for the winter. What was relatively recently discovered is that the Scottish population of male goosanders (and perhaps others) travel to the North Cape of Norway to moult. Whilst there they are joined by males from other parts of Europe. What prompts this gender specific migration is not known, but maybe this male that I photographed on the River Wye at Ross had made that June to October sojourn.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Nikon P900
