Common Goldeneye

As the temperatures are starting to rise, we'll see the ice that formed along the edges of Lake Michigan start to break up. This is good news! We'll get a better chance to see a multitude of waterfowl that has been hanging around all winter long....

Before we start here, I'd like to explain an important identifying tool. Behavior. There basically two kinds of ducks, the divers and the dabblers.  Diving ducks will submerge themselves completely underwater in search for food. Goldeneyes, mergansers, Redheads, Buffleheads, and scuaps belong to this category. The dabblers tend to stick closer the the shore, feeding mainly on vegetable matter by upending on the water surface or reach out their necks out to graze the surface. Mallards, shovelers, teals, Gadwalls, and Pintails fall into this category.

The Common Goldeneye is one of the more common diving ducks that we'll see around here. Medium sized flocks have been reported all along Racine's shoreline. (I once counted almost four dozen at the Pugh Marina) Kinda neat watching them dive into the water....

To identify them, look for the iridescent greenish-black head and a distinctive oval white patch at the base of the bill, along with white sides and black back on the males. Females have the chocolate brown heads with slate gray back wings and tails. (See picture above). They can be confused with the Barrow's Goldeneye, but it is unlikely that any can be found around here.

Common Goldeneyes are often the last to arrive around here and among the first to leave back to the forested regions of Canada and Alaska. Like Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers, they will nest in tree cavities.

The picture on top was taken at the Pugh Marina on 2/13/2013. I like this picture because it does show the side by side differences between the male and female. The top bottom picture was taken on 12/29/2012 at the Festival Park Lagoon. Though it was captured during a light winter snowfall, I like the close-up shot here. The bottom picture was taken by Tender Heart on 12/22/2012 at the Lagoon as well. While Tender Heart was taking shots at at some Common Mergansers, I spotted a goldeneye making a landing into the harbor. I had said out loud, "That would have been a great shot!" Tender Heart just showed me her pics and said. "You think?" Talk about about irony....