Common Goldeneye, Bucephala islandica

Common Goldeneye — male (right) & female (left)

I had a great opportunity recently to get a photo of both male and female Common Goldeneyes (seen above). These — like many of our waterfowl — are mainly seen in winter. There are actually two reasons for this, the first being that they are more likely seen in flocks and flotilla's in the non-breeding season as they break up to breed, and the second is that many of them breed well north of us here in Illinois. While doing some research for this post, I noticed that many of the ducks head north-west instead of just north to breed, ending up as far north & west as Alaska.

The Common Goldeneye winters from just north of us, all the way to the southern coastline of North America. It, unlike some others, does travel virtually directly north and breeds mostly in Canadian territory from east to west coasts.

According to the Cornell Bird Guide, Common Goldeneye females often lay eggs in the nests of other females - even of other species such as Barrow's Goldeneye. On top of that, Wood Duck and Common Mergansers also lay their eggs in the nests of Common Goldeneye! What a tangled web they weave. Apparently the ducklings will often end up in a 'creche' after being separated from their biological mother for one reason or another. They are largely able to fend for themselves from hatching so need little more than some protection.

Common Goldeneye male

Continuing my recent hobby of sketching (actually, I believe this would count as drawing rather than sketching), above is a drawing of a male Common Goldeneye I drew recently. This one was a particular challenge for me as getting the shading detail in the head is not nearly as easy as I thought it should be!