Common Goldeneyes
December 15th, 2008
Common Goldeneyes are my favorite of all waterfowl. They spend the summer north of us, but in late fall hundreds of them arrive in Ottawa, and many stay throughout the winter, staking out patches of open water on the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers. If necessary, they'll cluster in the rapids when the rest of the water freezes over. They are amazingly hardy little ducks. These guys can be seen splashing and having a good time in twenty below, when even the overwintering Mallards are huddled up on shore hiding their faces from the wind.
Even the rough water of the Deschenes Rapids is not too much for them. They dive for food in the waves, all the while getting carried further and further downstream, until they have to use their wings to regain lost ground. They do this again and again, for hours. They never seem to run out of stamina.
But the Rideau River is the best place to see them up close in winter, in the stretch between Queensway (Hurdman) Bridge and Cummings Bridge. To pick them out among the more familiar Mallards and Blacks, look for smaller ducks who appear very white--those are the adult males. Up close they're quite handsome.
A young male making do with a narrow stream of open water.
Mallards behind.
December 15th, 2008
Common Goldeneyes are my favorite of all waterfowl. They spend the summer north of us, but in late fall hundreds of them arrive in Ottawa, and many stay throughout the winter, staking out patches of open water on the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers. If necessary, they'll cluster in the rapids when the rest of the water freezes over. They are amazingly hardy little ducks. These guys can be seen splashing and having a good time in twenty below, when even the overwintering Mallards are huddled up on shore hiding their faces from the wind.
Even the rough water of the Deschenes Rapids is not too much for them. They dive for food in the waves, all the while getting carried further and further downstream, until they have to use their wings to regain lost ground. They do this again and again, for hours. They never seem to run out of stamina.
But the Rideau River is the best place to see them up close in winter, in the stretch between Queensway (Hurdman) Bridge and Cummings Bridge. To pick them out among the more familiar Mallards and Blacks, look for smaller ducks who appear very white--those are the adult males. Up close they're quite handsome.
A young male making do with a narrow stream of open water.
Mallards behind.
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