The Wildlife of
Cragside

 
Home
A-Z Index
Statistics

Ducks, Grebes and Coots - The Goldeneye

First seen on Wednesday 16th November 2022 at Cragside

The Goldeneye is a diving duck, with as its name suggests, a golden eye. Male and female are very different. The female, shown here, has a grey body with a chocolate coloured head. She also has a distinctive dark bill with orange tip. One of the females here has an all-black bill and slightly darker eyes - she is slightly more of a juvenile (but not much). Males are black with striking white patches on their side plus a white cheek spot. The black often catches the light giving him a green sheen. Goldeneyes spend quite a long time diving underwater, so can be a bit elusive. They also prefer deeper areas when in ponds and lakes. These two were diving in Tumbleton Lake.


 


 

The one blelow is one of two males that were on Nelly's Moss Lake. Always a good place to explore, you never know what may turn up there.