Birdwatch

Jason Osterhold
It is winter time on the local rivers and lakes. You may have noticed that there are different species of waterfowl and gulls on the river now than there are during the spring and summer. Many will migrate here to find the food and shelter they need to make it through these cold months. 
  During a birding walk last week along the Vedder River I saw several flocks of Common Mergansers, Barrow’s Goldeneyes and Common Goldeneyes. These are the most common waterfowl found on the Vedder at this time of year. They like the fast moving water, opposed to, other waterfowl which prefer still water.
  Take a closer look at the Barrow’s and Common Goldeneyes; they can be difficult to tell apart. They are both 18" inches in length and have nearly identical markings . The females of each species both have a dark brown head, fairly wide white ring around their neck(which is not always visible) and a mostly grey body, with a white wing patch. The only obvious difference between the females of the species is the Barrow’s has an all or mostly all yellow bill, where as the Common has a black bill with a yellow tip. The males of both these species are a little easier to tell apart, but not by much. They both have dark colored heads with white on either side. The Barrow’s has a purple head with a white crescent, on both sides of the head between the eye and the bill. The Common has a dark green head with a round spot of white. 
  It is better to use the white markings on the head as a field mark, as the head color often looks black at a distance in both species. They both have black backs and white sides, with more white showing on the Common Goldeneye. Both goldeneyes are diving ducks, which means they dive under water in search of aquatic insects and crayfish. Soon these birds will be making their way into the interior and north to find suitable nesting cavities in dead trees along the shores of small lakes and ponds. If you want to find out more about the birds in our area check out a field guide to the birds or give us a call at the Wild Bird Habitat
Store(604-792-1239). Happy Birding!
Written by Jason Osterhold

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