Common goldeneye ducks on Mission Creek, Kelowna

Common goldeneye ducks, males and females, on Mission Creek in Kelowna.  Video below.

My wife of 37 years and I went for a walk down the Mission Creek greenway yesterday.  We saw quite a few birds, including a falcon of some type, although I couldn't identify it.  The best thing we saw was two groups of goldeneye ducks as they lazily floated down the creek, ducking under the surface to feed as they went.  Our presence stopped their foraging habits.  They continued along with the flow; you can see the video below.


I have seen Barrow's goldeneyes recently, but not the common variety for about 4 years now.  And I have never seen this many together at once.  Apparently, they are isolationists during breeding season but group together the rest of the year.  Given that it is December, the flocking behaviour was understandable.

What was interesting was that a male hooded merganser was present with them.  I saw paired mergansers along the walk, but this one individual hung with the goldeneyes as if he belonged.  

It was an enjoyable walk; we did almost 5 km, enjoyed the cool, dry day, and saw about 7 or 8 different species of bird.  I didn't have my good camera and long lens with me; the photos above were taken with my iPhone 15.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

   

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