4 goldeneyes a pleasant sight Maine part of migratory route to northern breeding grounds

Refreshing breezes brushed the surface of the water as we paddled out to the middle of South Branch Pond. The sky was a deep summer blue and the sun warm on our backs – a delightful change to the cool, gloomy weather of the previous days.

Fellow camper Marjorie Stratton and I had decided to forego a hot, humid hike with the rest of our group. The day before we had gone up North Traveler Mountain, which was gorgeous, but that day the pond sparkled so invitingly we turned our backs on mountain climbing.

Tree swallows zipped overhead and only an occasional blackfly came to pester us. Neither Marjorie nor I is an experienced canoeist, so whoever was watching from the campground must have laughed at the zigzag patterns we made as we attempted to cross the pond. We paused often to relax and enjoy our surroundings; during one of these stops, Marjorie brought my attention to a small group of ducks swimming close to the forested shoreline.

They were common goldeneyes, all females, and they were busy diving for food. At times, all four would disappear almost simultaneously, reappearing at another point somewhere farther away. We didn’t want to disturb them, so we drifted ever so discreetly closer while I tried to snap pictures.

While female goldeneyes are not as flashy as males, they have an elegant, understated beauty: the deep brown feathers on their heads contrast beautifully with the soft, pastel shade of gray on their bodies. Small white patches on their wings are visible, adding to the pleasing image.

There are two kinds of goldeneyes that can be seen in Maine during certain times of the year: common goldeneyes and Barrow’s goldeneyes. I look for subtle differences in body shape and bill size and color (females of both species have identical plumages; males are easier to tell apart, by far), and study their ranges and seasonal movements to get a clue as to which one I’m observing at the time.

Common goldeneye ducks have a breeding range that stretches from Labrador and Newfoundland across much of Canada and parts of the northern U.S., and reaches up into Alaska. In winter, they spread out along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and are seen inland on unfrozen bodies of water at times.

The Barrow’s goldeneye, on the other hand, has a much more limited distribution. Although it has a small breeding range in eastern Canada, the bulk of its summers are spent in western Canada, Alaska, and the northwestern United States. It will winter near or along the New England coast and the Pacific coast.

Keeping this in mind, I looked for the physical details of the female goldeneyes for the clincher.

Common goldeneyes have heads that are less blocky in appearance; their “foreheads” slope gradually down to their beaks. Their bills are also broader, longer, and mostly black in color. A female Barrow’s goldeneye has a mostly yellow bill that is petite by comparison; its forehead angles almost straight up from the bill.

The birds I saw matched the physical characteristics of female common goldeneyes. Considering the time of year (late May), I wondered if these were late migrants stopping over at South Branch on their way farther north. However, I came across another possibility while consulting the “Birds of North America” species account. Maiden females (females with no previous breeding experience) will “group together and prospect for potential nest cavities the summer before a nesting attempt.”

I was intrigued about this little glimpse into the private lives of these diving ducks. Could this have been the case with the females I observed on South Branch? Maybe I’ll never know, but having that little mystery makes life so much more interesting.

Chris Corio, a volunteer at Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden, can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com