Male Common Goldeneye trying to get the attention of a female

Mike returned to the area of the Palo Alto Baylands where he saw the female common goldeneye a few days prior. This time, he also saw a male trying to get the females attention.






It worked for a while, but soon another male goldeneye arrived. They got into a dispute over the female. Eventually, a canvasback duck came over and chased the males away and he pursued the female for a while.



At the end, everyone was more interested in food.

Baylands Nature Preserve: Palo Alto, California

Female Common Goldeneye


Long-billed Curlew


Northern Shoveler


American Avocet


Another American Avocet

Mike took a business trip to Silicon Valley and had time to stop at the Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto. The highlight was a Common Goldeneye. We've seen them occasionally in NJ and once on Lake Nelson but never got a good photo before. A better camera helps but there's nothing like sunlight.

Happy Loving Couple and a New Duck, The Common Goldeneye

There was a lot of excitement this morning. Mike usually spots new ducks first, but today Chris gave the "new duck" alert. We were quick to team up with the binoculars, field guide, and camera to try and identify and photograph her as a Common Goldeneye. She didn't stay as long as we would have liked, because she seemed to get frightened off by a woman who feeds the geese. She didn't come back at all during the day, but we're hoping she makes a visit again tomorrow. After she left, though, is when Chris spotted the happy little Hooded Merganser couple out there again, and who can resist photographing such a cooperative subject, so here they are again. Late this afternoon a female common merganser was out there too, but no pictures came out good enough.