|
Stanley Park Explorer | Search About the Site Home |
Month View < | Field Notes | BACK | |
|
March 10 | Previous | Next | |
|
|
Places to Visit and Explore Nature in Stanley Park Ecosystem Guides: Lake Stanley Park Visitor Map: with Park Features, Trails, and Destinations Lost Lagoon |
|
Common Goldeneye Most waterfowl come to Lost Lagoon to feed, rest, preen, or find a mate. They can do all of these things while floating or swimming. Why expend more energy than you have to? It seems that when a bird takes flight, something out of the ordinary is happening. In this case, it has to do with food. I'm not a fan of people feeding the birds. Feeding tends to distrupt the birds' normal behaviour which I find much more interesting. But whenever people gather around the Lagoon's edge - to feed the birds - it quickly attracts the birds' attention and gives the nature photographer a chance to get some close-up, action, pictures. 'Wild' birds arriving on Lost Lagoon become acclimatized to people within a few days. Normally evenhard to approach birds become much more tolerant of people. Several species that winter on Lost Lagoon or arrive as spring migrants fall into this category. Diving ducks, normally 'shy', hard to approach species - canvasback, scaup, goldeneye, and bufflehead - all become much more accessible to the photographer. Appropriate food will draw many species close, including this female common goldeneye. The bird is on a short flight and has just taken off. Note the spread of the tail for added lift at takeoff and the 'landing gear' which has been retracted but not to the full, streamlined, position. The bird keeps its web feet folded, but with the legs hanging slightly down, ready to be swung forward into the landing position. Its only a short trip to where the action is. Field Guide Entry: Common Goldeneye |
|
|
|
|
Stanley Park Explorer http://www.stanleyparkexplorer.ca Produced by Peter Woods naturalist@stanleyparkexplorer.ca Revised: May 20, 2011 |
|