Record high counts of rare Barrow’s goldeneye ducks spotted around eastern Newfoundland
How often we are blindsided by the bad news from the world of nature –– good news rarely makes the headlines. It takes a talent to see and appreciate the positive happenings in the natural world.
The Barrow’s goldeneye has turned into a good news story in Newfoundland this winter.
Barrow’s goldeneye is an uncommon duck in eastern North America. The stronghold for the species in North America is in the west –– Alaska, British Columbia, Alberta and the northwestern United States –– but a pocket population of a few thousand Barrow’s goldeneye occurs in the east.
SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN
The Barrow’s goldeneye in eastern North America has such a restricted range that it has been designated by the Species at Risk Act as a Species of Special Concern.
Try to picture this in your mental geography image. The Barrow’s goldeneye nests in the headwater ponds of Quebec rivers that drain south into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
In the winter, they move to the mouths of large rivers that stay open through the winter, mainly in eastern Quebec and northern New Brunswick.
Smaller numbers overwinter in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. A few individuals overwinter in Newfoundland, mostly in the southwest.
COMMON GOLDENEYE
The common goldeneye is the cousin of the Barrow’s goldeneye. The common goldeneye really is a common
duck in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada and into the United States.
It is locally known as the whistler or pie duck. And as hunters also know, they are quite wary.
Barrow’s and common goldeneye freely associate with each other outside of the nesting season. They feed on the same freshwater and marine invertebrates.
N.L. SIGHTINGS
For many winters, Avalon Peninsula birders have been going to Spaniard’s Bay to see their Barrow’s goldeneye for the year. One or two spend the winter there with the flocks of common goldeneye.
For the past three winters, another one has taken up winter residence with common goldeneyes at nearby Cupids. This individual feeds closer to the shore and thus offers the best views.
Last winter, two immature males were discovered at Clarke’s Beach. The young males look a lot like the brown-headed females and are difficult to pick out in a flock of common goldeneyes.
RECORD HIGH
Things really took a turn for the better this winter for Barrow’s goldeneye. On a single weekend, there were counts of three adult males at Spaniard’s Bay, one adult male at Cupids and an adult and immature male at Kelligrews.
That makes a grand total of six Barrow’s goldeneyes in Conception Bay, Avalon Peninsula. This is a record-high count for the Avalon Peninsula and an exciting total for Avalon birders.
All indications are that the increase in Barrow’s goldeneye noted over the last three years is part of a trend.
On the southwest coast, counts of Barrow’s goldeneyes seem to be up as well. Coverage has always been light in this area, so comparing numbers is not always possible. This winter, there have been several nice counts of up to eight at single locations in the Bay St. George area.
SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN OTHER DUCKS
Besides the increase in the rare Barrow’s goldeneye in Conception Bay, there have been significant increases in other more common winter diving ducks.
Bufflehead, greater scaup, lesser scaup, common merganser, and red-breasted mergansers have all increased in the coves and bays around Conception Bay over the past number of years.
At least some of this increase can be attributed to the protection the ducks now get by entering coves in communities where hunting is less often practiced.
PLENTY OF FOOD STILL IN THE WOODS
The snowy weather of late has brought more birds, especially juncos and American goldfinches, to the bird feeders.
But most feeder watchers are still experiencing reduced numbers of birds overall. The fact is, there is still plenty of seed left in those spruce cones in the woods, so many birds have remained woodland inhabitants.
The food source is good enough that white-winged crossbills are singing again and seem to be nesting even though it is February.
Crossbills are one the few
birds that will nest at any time of the year, depending on the food source available.
Robins and waxwings are desperately looking for the last berries as the dogberry trees are stripped bare. Offerings of cut apples or frozen berries of any kind will help them.
BALD EAGLES NEAR SIGNAL HILL
There is good news for the Signal Hill bald eagle watchers.
For the past couple of weeks, a pair of eagles has been inspecting the famous nest north of Ladies Lookout. They have even been carrying sticks to the snow-covered nest. It will be April before they have eggs.
The ravens are pairing up. They are often seen flying in poetic unison and perched intimately closely on rocky headlands.
Several people have reported great horned owls hooting at night. Owls nest early. The great horned owls are probably paired off and may have nest sites already selected.
The sun is getting brighter every week.