Red-breasted Merganser

Local status: Scarce migrant and winter visitor

This species has become a real rarity in the York area since the turn of the millennium with only six records between 2000 and 2015. Formerly, Red-breasted Mergansers were fairly frequent, though never annual, in the 1980s and 1990s, during which time 30 records were published. If that trend had continued, the species may not have been listed in this book. The bulk of records come from the first five months of the year, with the lion’s share in January and February, presumably relating to hard-weather movements. Birds continue to turn up in the spring with the last records falling in the first week of May, as pairs make their way
to northerly breeding grounds. A small number of birds have been seen in autumn and into December, with November being the peak month, as birds move through on migration. As would be expected, the Lower Derwent Valley and Castle Howard are the best sites. It seems to be a species that can turn up on any waterbody however, with a wide range of records from lakes, flooded ings and rivers across the area.

Records:
2011: Fulford Ings, 9th to 10th January. Male.
2006: Bubwith Ings, 11th December. Male.
2006: Castle Howard, 25th November. Male.
2001: Wheldrake Ings, 11th April. Two Females.
2000: Bank Island, 9th January. Female.
1999: Wheldrake Ings, 2nd January. Male.
1997: Wheldrake Ings, 6th December. Male.
1996: Wheldrake Ings, 23rd March, then Bank Island, 24th March. Male.
1996: Rawcliffe Lake, 1st March. Female.
1996: Rawcliffe Lake, 24th to 27th January. Female.
1996: Wheldrake Ings, 19th January. Three (male and two females).
1994: Lower Derwent Valley, 24th November. Female.
1994: Lower Derwent Valley, 8th April. Four (male and three females).
1993: Lower Derwent Valley, 15th October. Female.
1993: Lower Derwent Valley, 7th May. Pair.
1992: Castle Howard, 11th November. Female.
1992: Castle Howard, 18th to 20th January. Male.
1991: Clifton Lake, 7th October. Female.
1991: Castle Howard, 20th April. Female.
1991: Newburgh, 19th April. Pair.
1991: Acaster South Ings, 13th February. Female.
1987: Wheldrake Ings, 21st to 22nd March. Female.
1987: Wheldrake Ings, 12th March. Female.
1986: Castle Howard, 3rd May. Two males.
1985: Castle Howard, 2nd to 11th Febuary. Female.
1985: Roscarrs, Selby, 18th January. Male.
1985: Lower Derwent Valley, 7th January to 23rd February. Female, joined by a second on 26th January.
1984: Castle Howard, 29th February. Nine.
1983: Castle Howard, 12th to 15th November. Female.
1983: Wheldrake Ings, 19th January. Pair.
1982: Wheldrake Ings, 24th October. Two females.
1982: Wheldrake Ings, 20th March to 14th April. Female.
1982: Castle Howard, 17th to 19th February. Male.
1982: Riccall, 20th January. Female.
1981: Wheldrake Ings, 29th December. Female.
1981: Wheldrake Ings, 6th May. Pair.
1979: River Ouse, Fulford, 22nd to 23rd February. Immature male.
1976: Acaster Malbis, 23rd November. Male.
1967: Castle Howard, 12th February.

Unsubstantiated records:
2008: North Duffield Carrs, 4th May. Pair (Birdguides).