Migrating Goldeneye Ducks
SO ENTRANCED WAS I BY THE BEAUTY OF THE MIGRATING GOLDENEYE DUCKS ON OUR MISSISSIPPI today, that I went down and caught one and brought it up to the office. Sometimes called the “whistler” because of the loud, whistling sound of its wingbeats, it is fun to watch this time of year in courtship displays, when the male (like this one) throws its head over its back, points its bill skyward and utters a loud rasp. Sounds just like Elvis to the ladies. These ducks nest on lakes and ponds of the North and nest in tree cavities high above the ground. Oh, and this one I caught—well, not so much. This is a gorgeous carving purchased at an Osprey Wilds fundraiser a couple of years ago. Also, for the sharp-eyed among you, it is not our midwestern Common Goldeneye, but a Barrows Goldeneye native to the Northwest coast, and to a lesser extent from Labrador to Long Island. But this one… lives here.