Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

On my morning walk earlier this week I was pleased to see this Common Goldeneye duck (Bucephala clangula). While I have seen small flocks of Goldeneyes elsewhere, generally when I see them on the Inner Harbour they are solitary or mixed in with a bunch of Buffleheads. I have yet to discover the reason for this. Any ideas?

My First Hybrid

I've mentioned before that one of the challenges faced by a novice birder like myself is that many birds look different in different seasons and at various stages of their lives. However, there is a further though rarer challenge and that is that some species of birds interbreed occasionally and produce hybrids that may bear some of the characteristics of both parent species. Above is an example. There are two species of Goldeneye Ducks, the Common Goldeneye and the Barrow's Goldeneye. Differences in head shape, size and plumage distinguish the two species. However, occasionally they interbreed and produce a hybrid such as can be seen in the photo above. The hybrid is second from the left. He bears the teardrop-shaped white cheek patch characteristic of the Barrow's Goldeneye but the black and white pattern on his back is much closer to the Common Goldeneyes that surround him than is usual with the Barrow's Goldeneyes. Below is a photo of some Barrow's Goldeneyes for comparison. Note particularly the bird on the far right of the photo as he is the only male.

Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

Just as I was packing up to leave Fleming Beach last week I spotted this duck near the boat ramp and snapped this quick shot (above). This is a female Common Goldeneye. I don't see them very often and this is the first I've seen this year. They are so different from the male of the species that I always think I've come across a duck new to me. Below is a photo of a Common Goldeneye drake (from last spring) so you can see how much the genders differ.

Goldeneyes

Greetings all on this Easter weekend. While awaiting the ferry on Galiano Island I was pleased to see this group of Goldeneye Ducks (Bucephala clangula). I have seen a couple of individual Goldeneyes this year in Victoria but not a group like this. This group is a male, on the far right, and a group of females. That bulbous swelling of the head above the eyes gives them their Latin name, "Bucephala", which means "ox-headed". And from this photo it is easy to see why they are commonly called Goldeneyes.

Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

In early December last year I posted a photo of a lone female Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula). I was lucky to see the male of the species yesterday while walking along the West Bay Walkway. Unlike the other overwintering ducks that move around in flocks or pairs these Goldeneyes seem to be quite content to spend the winter alone.

Westbay Wildlife

While I sort out some more photos of the recent Thetis Lake excursion here's a few more birds to add to the roll call of wildlife I've seen on the West Bay Walkway. Above is another shot of the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon). I see this bird almost every morning but he is generally perched high in a tree overlooking the water. And usually by the time I get all the gear out and ready he has spied his next meal and gone off to dive-bomb it. He has a very distinctive call that I now recognize, described in Peterson's Field Guide to Western Birds as "a loud high rattle." This means I see him much more often since his call alerts me to his location. To the left is a Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), a diving duck that is wintering in these coastal waters along with the Hooded Mergansers and the Buffleheads.

Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

As you can see, Victoria's coastal waters are a popular place for ducks in the winter. There are at least three kinds of duck in the above photo. Left foreground we can see a couple of Bufflehead Ducks, featured HERE a few days ago. They have a black forehead and the top and back of the head is white. Most of the brownish ducks in the center are American Wigeons, featured HERE last week. Today's featured duck is the Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and there are six of them visible at the rear left of this group. They have black heads with a white disk on each cheek. The heads have a characteristic domed appearance. The golden eyes for which they are named are also quite visible. The females are not quite so distinctive and there are no doubt a few in the photo but none that I am able to identify with any certainty. This entire mixed group of ducks was very busily diving, apparently harvesting some kind of seaweed at that particular spot.