The
goosander is a member of the sawbill family of ducks and has been spreading throughout the rivers of England and Wales over the last 50 years.
With winter biting even harder on the continent,
goosanders seek refuge in our milder climate where fishing is easier than in ice locked Europe.At Sandwell Valley a record 90
goosanders were spotted last month.
The brainchild of the Angling Trust, the sport's governing body, the aim is to get cormorants and
goosanders placed on to the 'general licence' list, meaning that they can be controlled in the same way as birds like rooks and magpies wherever they are deemed to be a threat to other wildlife.
Three broods of
goosanders were also on the Clwyd, with one family of 13 chicks!
Come along to see some stunning autumn visitors such as
goosanders, teals, shovelers and snipe.
Grebes, cormorants,
goosanders, mute swans, and ducks currently dominate the area.
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Goosanders at Wrexham's Gresford Flash, Snow Bunting at Cemlyn, Black Redstart at Kinmel Bay, and Great Grey Shrike and Water Pipits at Llyn Brenig.
Our rivers are producing salmon and I believe the crash is caused by predation on juvenile fish by cormorants,
goosanders and seals, global warming, and something untowards happening at sea.
These matches were often won with good weights of trout in previous years but the recent predation of cormorants,
goosanders and otters and lack of stocking of trout into rivers is being reflected in the poor match results and poor entries at matches.
But as I walked along the meandering riverbank, I noticed quite a commotion on the river's edge and there were a dozen or more
goosanders having a feeding bonanza hitting the sewin smolts.
It has been formed to encourage anglers to record their sighting of cormorants,
goosanders and mergansers.
You can also spot great-crested grebes and
goosanders bobbing on the lake and even buzzards and ravens in the sky.
Roach and dace tend to move into deeper areas like Shrewsbury in the winter, especially to town centres, which are both warmer and a sanctuary away from cormorants and
goosanders.
