I Wonder Why They Call Them That? Common Goldeneyes on the Tuolumne River

Yes, it's a mystery for the ages...why do they call them goldeneyes?

In actuality, I rarely get the chance to investigate the answer to the question because Common Goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula) are among the most skittish birds I encounter on the Tuolumne River. Over the last three winters there has been a flock of 15-20 of them spending time on the river near the Tuolumne Parkway Trail in Waterford, but they do not like humans very much at all, and probably with good reason: they're a favorite of hunters. I see them fairly often over the winter, but mostly as a sudden flash of wings, or a ripple of water where they have dived out of sight.

I got lucky the other day because I was approaching the pond where these two were hanging out from below an embankment. All they could see of me was a hat, and they didn't spook while I got a couple of images. I think I have solved the mystery of the name!

I caught the rest of the crew on the river where they were foraging. These pictures were on a long zoom because I was much further away. The females have the brown heads and lack the white facial spot. But they both have...golden eyes!

A Somewhat Rare Visitor on the Tuolumne Parkway Trail: Common Goldeneyes

Now just to be clear, I mean "rare" in the sense that they haven't been seen on this stretch of the Tuolumne River where it flows through Waterford. The Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) is certainly a common bird across the country, and has been reported upstream around Modesto and Turlock Lakes, and downstream around Modesto and the San Joaquin River. But in the last ten years at least (according to eBird), it hasn't been reported anywhere in between.

A Wood Duck (left) joined the flock on one day last week

I first saw just one of them swimming in one of the pools at the water treatment plant where I got the only close-up photo (above). That was on January 3. On subsequent walks I saw as many as five at once, but within a week the flock was up to 17 or 18, with a mix of males and females. Another birder (the only other one to mention Goldeneyes) reported six of them on January 10. At least three were still on the river today, but some may have flown off when I arrived in the area.

I couldn't look at the Goldeneyes and not think about the excitement among birders to the north on the Stanislaus River at Knight's Ferry. There has been a flock of Common Goldeneyes there since about Christmastime, and with them has been a Barrow's Goldeneye. That is a species that has only rarely been sighted in our county, as we are situated at the extreme southern edge of their normal range. It has not been reported since the 10th of January, so you can be sure I was watching carefully to see if it decided to fly just a bit further south!

There have been a number of flocks hanging out on my section of the river lately...today there were five Pied-billed Grebes downstream at the west end of the Parkway Trail. A gaggle of about twenty Canada Geese rested briefly near the slough today. And I saw a flock of five ducks, either Goldeneyes or Wood Ducks, taking off near the water treatment plant.