Overwintering goldeneyes have all the glamour of 007
Bill Oddie presents the goldeneye on Tweet of the Day
THE GOLDENEYE MUST BE THE ONLY DUCK to share its name with a film about secret agents, and males of the species are every bit as dapper as its hero, James Bond. (Author Ian Fleming was a birdwatcher, but named the novel on which the film is based – and his beautifully secluded house in Jamaica – after the World War II naval operation.)
Few things beat the sight of drake goldeneyes swimming purposefully across a reservoir or lake on a crisp winter day, lit by the low, raking sun. Their black-and-white plumage is resplendent, their yellow eyes seem to positively glow. Female goldeneyes share that fiery glare, but have a brown head the colour of milk chocolate.
Though December is the perfect time to see goldeneyes, numbers wintering in the UK are falling due to climate change, with milder weather on mainland Europe tempting more to stay there instead.