The reappearance of the female hooded merganser at Pilning Wetlands (Northwick Warth) was one of those moments that ignites excitement. Having slipped through the net during its first stay - with Kev @kev07713, his wife Karen @karenheath62 and I arriving just after it had departed overnight - news of its return offered a welcome second chance, and one that was impossible to ignore. First seen at 11.45am and posted on BirdGuides eight minutes later, Kev’s WhatsApp message reached me at 11.57am, quickly followed by a call - and by 12.10pm we were already on the road, heading there separately as I had to get back home by 5.00pm as I was going out in the evening.
The female hooded merganser proved to be an exceptional visitor to Northwick Warth, drawing considerable attention from birders across the region. Native to North America, hooded mergansers are rare vagrants in Britain, making any occurrence noteworthy. There have been very few accepted records nationwide, which explains the level of interest surrounding this individual; as far as I can determine, only 16 records have been accepted in Britain to date, following assessment through the national rarities process by BBRC and BOURC, with many earlier reports rejected or considered likely escapees.
Historically, records of the species have often prompted debate due to its popularity in captivity. However, growing evidence of genuine transatlantic vagrancy eventually led to hooded merganser being accepted onto the British List.
The bird frequented the flooded gravel pits and surrounding wetland areas, often associating loosely with tufted duck, pochard and other diving wildfowl. Typically favouring quieter sections of open water, it spent much of its time diving actively for small fish and aquatic invertebrates, periodically resting along the margins and reeds.
Identification was straightforward thanks to its distinctive structure and plumage: a compact diving duck with a slender serrated bill, warm brown flanks, and the characteristic fan-shaped crest which could be raised into a striking swept-back shape - a great find by Andy Stockhausen (@andy-1963.bsky.social).
At times it had drifted with feeding flocks or disappeared behind reedbeds, leading to occasional anxious scans from assembled observers - on occasions it would fly out over the river, only to return. The bird’s disappearance after its initial stay of two days, followed now by its unexpected reappearance, only added to the sense of urgency.
As we set off at roughly the same time, it seemed inevitable we might meet enroute, and sure enough Kev soon appeared behind me, having caught up thanks to roadworks just outside Chipping Norton. We remained within sight of each other for most of the journey towards the M5, though I briefly pulled ahead after an overtake and then while Kev was delayed at a junction. Once on the motorway he caught me again, and I gave him a call to suggest he take the lead - my SatNav had decided I was somewhere in the middle of a field. The Audi MMI was clearly struggling to communicate with the GPS, and according to it I was cruising at around 18,500 feet - the car is scheduled to go in for diagnostics in a couple of week time. Not wanting to risk missing the final turn, and with time at a premium, it made far more sense to follow him in - I'd probably remember the route but no sense in taking risks.
As we arrived at the parking spot, a line of birders was already visible along the wall overlooking the three main pools where the bird had roamed during its previous visit.
Kev and Karen had parked further around the corner, and as I set off, I could see they were already striding ahead, knowing I would soon catch them up. It was only a couple of hundred metres before I joined them and we began scanning the line of birders - were they all facing the same direction, scopes trained, and cameras raised? Yes, yes, and yes. So far, so good.
As we approached, we received immediate confirmation that the bird was on the first pool, although diving frequently. It wasn’t long before we were onto it ourselves, enjoying a well-earned life tick - we'd clawed one back.
The merganser spent much of her time actively feeding, rarely remaining on the surface for long. Like other mergansers, she is a pursuit diver, propelling herself underwater with powerful kicks of her feet in search of prey. Most dives were relatively short, typically lasting 10–20 seconds, after which she would resurface briefly before disappearing again.
Hooded mergansers feed primarily on small fish, though aquatic invertebrates - including insect larvae, crustaceans and molluscs - also form an important part of the diet, particularly outside the breeding season. Her feeding pattern was methodical, often working a defined area of open water before drifting gradually with the other wildfowl. At times she associated loosely with tufted duck, though she tended to forage independently rather than synchronising dives with them.
The frequent diving meant views could be fleeting, adding a slight edge of anticipation each time she resurfaced - scanning the water to relocate her among the wintering duck. It also made taking videos difficult as there was little time to locate the bird, focus, and start recording, before she was diving again. When relocating it was amazing to the speed with which she motored across the water.
We were then treated to the bird half-climbing out of the water to begin preening, allowing for longer, more settled views through the scopes. I waited in hope of a wing-flap at the end of the preening session and, sure enough, she duly obliged. I managed to grab a few photos, though I later kicked myself for not increasing the frame rate - despite being largely prepared, the results were slightly disappointing, even if I did come away with a few usable shots.
A couple of the birders who had clearly been here for a while longer than us had strolled off to look on the other pool and reported that there were little ringed plovers on the near edge of the next pool. We quickly relocated there as they would be an early year tick for this species - we will see more in the coming weeks, but it is always good to catch an early one. There were reports of up to five, but when we looked there appeared to be two with at least three ringed plovers, one still in first-winter plumage.
Kev hadn’t been filming when the merganser performed its wing-flap, so he decided to stay a little longer in the hope of capturing the moment on video, while also later investigating the site for raptors - a male kestrel had already passed through - and perhaps finally connecting with his elusive merlin (though I later heard that species remains unfound). Meanwhile, I packed up and headed back on the road; the traffic was kind, and I made it home and through the door by the required 5.00pm.
Year list: 191.
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