Williamson's Weekly Nature Notes

They are all divers of course, so they can get away from a wandering greater black-back gull. But only for a minute. Then they have to pop back up and face the enemy.

Just look how these three species solved the problem millions of years ago. I took my pictures at the Arundel Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, which is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Though two of the three are mainly marine species they are quite happy to live on those clean freshwater ponds fed by chalk springs.

Two ducks I saw at Arundel are a goldeneye (top) and a tufted duck (below). Both are drakes. At present there are half a dozen goldeneyes in Fishbourne channel and some more in Nutbourne channel. But they could be anywhere in the harbour until mid March.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette January 21