Overview

Family - Divers (Gaviidae).

These streamlined diving birds sit low in the water and dive with consummate ease. On land they are clumsy, barely able to walk with their legs so far back on their bodies. They are easily disturbed when breeding and their vulnerability to marine pollution make them a vulnerable as well as rare breeding species.

Comment

This smart bird was spotted on Cheddar reservoir in late December 2009.  It seemed fairly unconcerned about crowds with cameras and scopes and fished close in to the edge at the Cheddar end of the reservoir.