male and female Barrow’s Goldeneye
1. Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) (1) – Reported Jan 30, 2014 03:00 by Martin Parker – Young’s Point — above dam and Lock, Peterborough, Ontario – Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=44.4882728,-78.2314968&ll=44.4882728,-78.2314968 – Checklist: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16728604 – Comments: “above lock – opposite 2815 River Ave – east of Lockside Trading” first winter male
various plumages in male, female and juvenile Barrow’s Goldeneye from Crossley ID Guide Eastern Birds
2. This morning before school I went up to Young’s Point to try and find the previously reported first winter male Barrow’s Goldeneye. I could not locate the bird in a large flock of 60 or so Common Goldeneye, but the flock flew off before I was done scanning; however there were two Long-tailed ducks near the Goldeneyes. I was about to leave when I saw a Goldeneye swimming right under the bridge. Then a second bird popped up and I realized it was a female Barrow’s Goldeneye. I had great views of it side by side with 2 female Common Goldeneye and could see the difference in head colour and shape as well as the difference in bill shape and colour (the bill was about two thirds yellow). At one point they were close enough together that I could even see the difference in size (the Barrow’s was slightly shorter than the Common). I did obtain two fairly poor quality photos.
Along the river in Lakefield I saw 5 Red-breasted Mergansers and the Red-necked Grebe that was found yesterday, but could not re-find the Horned Grebe. The White-winged Scoter and the 2 Hooded Mergansers were still below lock 25.
Luke Berg
