Posted by Duncan on January 31, 2005 at 15:32:37 from 195.93.33.7 user Duncan.
In Reply to: GN? posted by IanW on January 06, 2005 at 15:53:53:
It's an interesting one. I was watching a Bill Oddie programme the other day, and it was July and a Great Northern Diver was swimming about, nearly Mull. It was in full adult breeding plumage. I actually saw a couple of Great Northerns in full breeding plumage on the west coast of Ireland in October (which is easily time enough for them to have come down from Iceland or wherever, just its more normal for us to see them in their winter plumage).
I was quite surprised by the RSPB response you got, as I thought that it was generally supposed that they DID breed in the northern isles (based on sightings of adult birds in pairs, and the ages of some juveniles), but that it was yet to be proven beyond doubt (i.e. either there have never been, or only sporadically been, pairs seen successful nesting and raising young).