The day before I made this visit to Perton, someone had reported thirty-odd goosanders on the fishing pools at Pool Hall. So I decided to try somewhere more accessible nearby where they sometimes show up in winter.
When I got there, the lake was very quiet: a few gulls, some mallards and a handfull of Canadas, all in lower numbers than usual. I thought I was going to miss out on goosanders entirely.
Finally, when I’d walked all round the lake and was just about to go, one female flew in. She’s just about recognisable in these distant shots taken on a mobile.