{"id":107941,"date":"2022-11-12T04:20:29","date_gmt":"2022-11-12T11:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=107941"},"modified":"2023-10-01T03:02:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-01T09:02:00","slug":"my-first-of-season-common-goldeneye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/11\/12\/my-first-of-season-common-goldeneye\/","title":{"rendered":"My First Of Season Common Goldeneye"},"content":{"rendered":"

I found my first of season Common Goldeneye near a stand of rushes while walking around a local pond after a light skiff of snow had fallen overnight. Common Goldeneyes<\/span><\/a> do not breed in northern Utah but they do overwinter here.<\/p>\n

\"FirstFirst of season drake Common Goldeneye in Salt Lake County \u2013 Nikon D500, handheld, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 800, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 300mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though I wasn’t close to the drake Common Goldeneye I took a few photos of him swimming in the reflections of the rushes. I suppressed the urge to dance around with glee at the edge of the pond only<\/em> because I could see another bird photographer with his lens pointed in the direction of the goldeneye. I didn’t want annoy the photographer or flush the handsome duck.<\/p>\n

\"DrakeDrake Common Goldeneye running across the Bear River \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/4000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When Common Goldeneyes arrive for the winter I know that I can find them in the marshes surrounding the Great Salt Lake, on small ponds, reservoirs up in the mountains, on the Great Salt Lake, and on rivers.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Common Goldeneye taking off from the Bear River \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/4000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Common Goldeneyes can be quite skittish in some areas and will take off in a flash at times. In January when this male goldeneye took off from the icy Bear River I barely had time to lock onto him.<\/p>\n

\"CommonCommon Goldeneye male lifting off from the Bear River \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/4000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I wanted to photograph the drake in flight but just as he lifted off he turned and had his back to me. I hope that this winter I’ll have more opportunities to photograph this goldeneye species in flight.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Common Goldeneye preening on an urban pond \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

On urban ponds and rivers I have found Common Goldeneyes to be more cooperative and far less skittish. They forage, eat, sleep, display, have territorial disputes, and preen within easy reach of my long lens.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Common Goldeneye contortions \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter what they are doing I enjoy having Common Goldeneyes in my viewfinder while they overwinter here in northern Utah.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Common Goldeneye photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I found my first of season Common Goldeneye near a stand of rushes while walking around a local pond after a light skiff of snow had fallen overnight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":107924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[124,27,1148,962,709,26],"tags":[970,4529,4238,4520,4753,4483,1129,126,4620,6242,4944,4062,1984,4019,5558,5428,8018,3996,2063,4095,373],"class_list":["post-107941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-common-goldeneyes","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-autumn","tag-bear-river","tag-bucephala-clangula","tag-common-goldeneye","tag-diving-ducks","tag-drake","tag-duck","tag-ducks-2","tag-fall","tag-first-of-season","tag-lifting-off","tag-male","tag-pond","tag-preening-2","tag-river","tag-taking-off","tag-urban","tag-water","tag-waterfowl","tag-wetlands","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t