Goldeneyes or Buffleheads?

Posted on by God's Morning

goldeneyes or buffleheads

I thought they were buffleheads when I first saw them, but they appeared a little too large and weren’t diving constantly the way buffleheads usually do.  They were way off shore, so the photos aren’t great.  I think they are goldeneyes, but not sure.  Who knows?

E.J. Lefavour

Published by God's Morning

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11 thoughts on “Goldeneyes or Buffleheads?”

  2. I think I just saw a couple of these little guys over by Capt. Joe’s and Cripple Cove. Tried to get close to get a photo, but they took off when I started getting near. Time to go look at my son’s bird guides…

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    1. I just went on your blog – I like it. You need some new content, or you could just redo the last once, since it’s almost that time again!

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    1. No, they weren’t common eiders. There was a raft of eiders a little to the right of them in the water. Eiders are larger and have longer bodies and necks, not cute and compact like these guys/gals were.

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  6. Here are two (long) links to some photos of Goldeneyes, and another for buffleheads. After looking at both, it is clear that your photo is of Buffleheads, which happen to be my favorite of all the ducks. Check them out:. https://www.google.com/search?q=barrow%27s+goldeneye&client=firefox-a&hs=spK&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&imgil=kx_6TlGW1UTsgM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcT6EBARfxPcgcCvMwf4BZT_V_Vcw4rriqgKq4882Gv2xyEbQ90lRQ%253B1148%253B868%253Bi54aRlYNfNW6AM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%25252Fwiki%25252FBarrow%27s_Goldeneye&source=iu&usg=__8Y1DYDgWCs2A1FZ8bOZskaKOk-E%3D&sa=X&ei=AfkqU6ufOdO50AGJ5YAo&ved=0CKUBEP4dMAs#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=kx_6TlGW1UTsgM%253A%3Bi54aRlYNfNW6AM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fupload.wikimedia.org%252Fwikipedia%252Fcommons%252F6%252F68%252FBarrows.goldeneye.male.010107.arp.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fen.wikipedia.org%252Fwiki%252FBarrow%27s_Goldeneye%3B1148%3B868 Buffleheads: https://www.google.com/search?q=barrow%27s+goldeneye&client=firefox-a&hs=spK&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&imgil=kx_6TlGW1UTsgM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcT6EBARfxPcgcCvMwf4BZT_V_Vcw4rriqgKq4882Gv2xyEbQ90lRQ%253B1148%253B868%253Bi54aRlYNfNW6AM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%25252Fwiki%25252FBarrow%27s_Goldeneye&source=iu&usg=__8Y1DYDgWCs2A1FZ8bOZskaKOk-E%3D&sa=X&ei=AfkqU6ufOdO50AGJ5YAo&ved=0CKUBEP4dMAs#channel=fflb&q=bufflehead+duck&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&imgdii=_

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    1. Thanks Beau. I had noticed that the link in your earlier comment didn’t work, but looking at the goldeneye photos was enough to prove you right. Buffleheads are my favorites too, and I watch them often out my window in Smiths Cove. These confused me because they weren’t behaving the way I expect bufflheads to, constantly diving and disappearing from view, and they appeared larger at that distance than I expect them to look. The females do look like goldeneyes with that white cheek patch, but the white head back definitely show them to be bufflehead males. Thanks!

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