I wouldn't mind so much if it were only minnows... I doubt that they're that picky?

The only time I have seen goosanders dive in concert, has been an instance of a brood of youngsters diving simultaneously, but I suspect that this was just a defence mechanism at being scared ( accidentally by me). They all took refuge below the surface.
I have not seen anything to suggest that adults work as a team yet. There may be 3 or 4 birds within, say, 10 metres of each other, but they were fishing individually. Haven't seen one with prey yet, but possibly they might swallow their fish underwater.
Cormorants can attack, if not actually eat, fish of up to at least three pounds.

See: http://www.barbelhunters.co.uk/photo...ect-on&cat=594

The problem we have with cormorants and maybe goosanders is that on small narrow streams/canals such as we have locally in the N.West, all the birds have to do is swim up, or downstream, and they get to see all the resident fish. I don't mind them so much on large lakes, where the fish have a chance of not being seen at all.

Last winter I witnessed how effective these birds can be, almost like a pod of dolphins they systematically hunted from one end of a lake to another. The "pod" consisted of about 10 birds. The only other time I've seen this is with a group of cormorants. Sickeningly on an adjacent water.

Quite something to be honest, if not for all the wrong reasons.

hi B.T. the female as light brown head. the male green. but changes colour in winter i think.??

not something i would want to see on the waters i fish.

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