Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/01/09

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Subject: [Leica] IMG: more Goldeneye ducks
From: wildlightphoto at earthlink.net (Doug Herr)
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 2010 11:56:32 -0500 (EST)

Friday morning I spent a few hours at the state fish hatchery at Nimbus Dam, 
a few minutes from home.  The hatchery's water outflow often contains small 
fish (or portions of fish), a fact not lost on the local birds.  A portion 
of the outflow is let into a settling pond where it eventually makes its way 
through percolation and direct flow to the American River, a few meters 
below the hatchery.

Many of the local birds consider the settling pond to be a prime feeding 
area so among some species, the Common Goldeneye among them, 'turf' wars are 
fought over the best locations.  Yesterday two pairs of Goldeneyes plus one 
bachelor male staked claims to the pond.

When a neighboring Goldeneye gets too close to your claimed area, the first 
level of threat is to lower the head and aim toward the interloper:

http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/cogo04.html

Both male and female Goldeneyes use this threat posture, but if the neighbor 
doesn't back off the male will go to level two threat, where he tosses his 
head back and makes a sound that is best described as a mix of a purr and a 
soft growl:

http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/cogo03.html

Note the female of this pair has maintained the level one threat posture.  A 
physical battle often takes place underwater which is out of the range of my 
camera's design parameters.  Once the winner is decided (home court is a big 
advantage) the loser makes a hasty retreat:

http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/cogo06.html
http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/cogo07.html

which is followed by the winner's victory dance:

http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/cogo05.html

all photos: R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt, shoulder stock & monopod.  All 
comments welcome.


Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com




Replies: Reply from afirkin at afirkin.com (afirkin at afirkin.com) ([Leica] IMG: more Goldeneye ducks)
Reply from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] IMG: more Goldeneye ducks)
Reply from hewthompson at mac.com (Hugh Thompson) ([Leica] IMG: more Goldeneye ducks)
Reply from jhnichols at lighttube.net (Jim Nichols) ([Leica] IMG: more Goldeneye ducks)
Reply from lluisripollquerol at gmail.com (Lluis Ripoll Querol) ([Leica] IMG: more Goldeneye ducks)
Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] IMG: more Goldeneye ducks)
Reply from photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] IMG: more Goldeneye ducks)
Reply from philippe.amard at sfr.fr (philippe.amard) ([Leica] IMG: more Goldeneye ducks)