Goosanders typically breed on rivers in the hilly parts of the UK where there are faster flowing rivers - typically Wales, Scotland, the north of England as far south as Derbyshire, plus the Exmoor and Dartmoor areas on south-west England.
However we have been fortunate to have had regular breeding in the north of the county for some years now, concentrated along a stretch ofthe River Ouse. The BTO Breeding Atlas 2007-2011 does say that the range of this species is expanding but shows the closest breeding site to be many miles away (with one exception in Northamptonshire).
The first recorded breeding in the county was in 2007 at Gayhurst, when 12 ducklings were seen. In 2010 a female with 6 ducklings was recorded at Olney, also on the River Ouse. Goosanders then bred near Olney each year from 2012 to 2017. There are no records for 2018 but they did breed successfully in 2019. A further breeding record of a female with five ducklings on 12th May 2019, from nearby Cold Brayfield is presumably from the same breeding population.
It is rather remarkable to have this fantastic duck breeding in the county. Long may it continue.
