After the Hampshire County Recorder pointed out the significance of a coastal July Goosander in Hampshire on a local ornithological Yahoo site I referred to my 'Birds of Hampshire A Checklist' dated December 2001 that I got from Mark.  Not surprisingly the 'monthly distribution' row for Goosander was blank for June and July.  I couldn't help but notice that the row immediately above for Red-breasted Merganser indicated that although unlikely to be encountered records have occurred throughout the summer months. 

   In my defence the Hook with Warsash bird that I spotted on Friday at roost on the spit did have its head turned with its beak out of sight along its back throughout.  Unfortunately it wasn't swimming around as Steve saw it yesterday!  That said though having seen numerous Goosander last weekend 400 miles further North in Glasgow I didn't even consider the possibility that the bird could of been a Red-breasted Merganser.  School boy error I know and no doubt Mark and Steve will perpetually remind me that I should of done!  At least I can take heart that I realised that it wasn't an adult female Goosander or worse a male! 

Good birding,

Tony T   BSc (Hons) Geosci (Open)