OHIO-BIRDS Archives

February 2011

OHIO-BIRDS@LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
jen brumfield <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
jen brumfield <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:20:59 +0000
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (29 lines)
Greetings - 
The immature male Barrow's Goldeneye was discovered off of Veteran's Memorial park in Avon. Avon Belden Road, or Route 83, DEADENDS at Route 6/Lake Road, and the park is just north of here. Here's a website for the park: http://www.avonlake.org/EZ_Locations_Detail.aspx?id=33&d=15.
A quick scouting trip to check ice conditions turned into a duck bonanza just offshore. Over 300 Common Goldeneye were present, as were thousands of Red-breasted and Common Mergansers. Thousands more were moving out along the horizon. Redhead, Ruddy Duck, and others were present, but all attention was on the goldeneye. 
The Barrow's is, again, an immature male. There are very few good photos/illustrations/paintings of immature male Barrow's in field guides. SHAPE of the HEAD and BILL is KEY. It is absolutely key. Compared to Common, Barrow's has a thrown-forward head; it's forehead bulges out and angles at a slant out over the bill, making the bill then appear more short and less "honking" than Common's. Common's head peaks at the crown and has a backward slope (not forward) to the head. The back of the Barrow's head was quite bulging and at times relatively bushy. The bill itself was not as bulky and large as Common, it was a tad bit daintier and finer towards the tip. Head shape on the Avon bird was very, very well seen. Plumage marks: this bird showed an almost completely dark brown head - darker brown and almost blackish than female Common Goldeneye. In closer views and better light, a small paler crescent, going above the eye, was noted, but it was NOT very apparent. The back was very, very dark, almost blackish, with few markings. A small row of three very, very small spots could be seen along the lower back/wings, but again, this was NOT very apparent. Dark straps coming off of the shoulders and down towards the sides/chest WERE present. The sides were a duskyish gray, but the chest was quite white. 
The bird flew WEST towards Avon Lake Powerplant. But there is a large open patch of water between Veteran's Memorial Park and Avon Lake Powerplant. As of 4:20, no reports so far. 
NOTE, there are many "subadult" Common Goldeneye present, with wacky variable, patchy plumage. Scopes are needed and head/bill shape and overall plumage must be scrutinized in fine, fine, incredibly fine detail. 
Distant photos were taken and will be posted later. 
best of birdingJen

Jen Brumfield 
[log in to unmask]
Cleveland, Ohio
330-701-6452





                                          
______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]

ATOM RSS1 RSS2