PICTURE GALLERY
Divers
The bill is often held pointing slightly upwards, as in this picture taken by Richard Fray on Sunday 16th December 2001, at Whitwell. Even at this distance you can see that more than half of the neck is white (the Black-throated's neck is just half white. There is also a very small white area around the eye.
Photo: Richard Fray Another picture of this species taken by Matthew Berriman almost exactly a year later, in mid- December 2002. This juvenile has less white on the head and neck than a winter adult. 
The oiled Red-throated Diver below was seen near Goldeneye Hide on 10 April 2003.
Matthew Berriman says "It looked a lot healthier when it swam off!"
Black-throated Divers are also rare winter visitors. Photo: Matthew Berriman
Notice the dagger-shaped bill which is carried horizontally and is slimmer than the Great Northern Diver's (see picture of both species together below). Also compare the amount of darker colouring on the neck with that of the Red-throated Diver (above). Juveniles in winter often show this scaly pattern on the back.
Great Northern Divers are also seen at Rutland Water during the winter. This individual was seen near the dam in November 2004. Notice the heavy, horizontally held bill, comparatively large head and thick neck.
Photo: Matthew Berriman
Finally a most unusual juxtaposition - a Black-throated and Great Northern, photographed by Richard Fray on 1/1/2002. Richard says: "It was fantastic to see both the Black-throated and Great Northern Divers together at such close range - at times they were even calling to each other! "
Photo: Richard Fray