Seward, Alaska
Unlike the bay, no whitecaps churned the ice-rimmed sewage lagoon this afternoon. COMMON GOLDENEYES basked in the sunshine, preened, and napped. A few drakes exhibited dramatic courtship behavior, snapping their heads flat on their backs, then thrust their necks forward at a 45ยบ angle and beeped. Demure hens observed and furtively compared notes on the Olympic scale of 1-10 without selecting a winner, yet.
As with the Barrow’s Goldeneyes, the first winter males blended in well with the females. Closer inspection showed a very faint white area around the base of the bill, soon to be white circles, more white on the chest, and an all-dark bill.
The females sported a dab of orange/gold towards the tip of their dark bills. Compared to the Barrow’s, the Common Goldeneye is tad larger in size and length of bill, with a sloped forehead and more triangular head shape.
It takes careful scrutiny to differentiate the females and first winter drakes; all the more so in a mixed flock of Goldeneyes. The sewage lagoon, though slightly stinky, seemed to favor the Commons today.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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