Hi Terry,

If you're trying to find a Barrow's Goldeneye, I would start with picking 
out a male and then check for females.  I find guilt by association is the 
best clue.  For males, I find back coloration is the best field mark to 
pick them out of a flock.  Barrow's are much darker on the back, but beware 
of preening males.  They will roll onto their side so that the dark stripe 
on the center of their back nearly reaches the water line.  For females, I 
search for all yellow bills.  Ted goes with head shape which is flatter on 
top and puffier in the back.  You might try the Grand Isle side of the 
railroad causeway early in the morning before birds get disturbed and 
pushed out from shore.

Good luck,
Allan

At 09:41 PM 1/22/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>
>Allen, Ted,
>
>Thanks for a great post.  If you don't mind, do you have any tips for  an
>amateur.  I'm thinking, in particular, how to pick out a female 
>Barrows  from a
>flock of 2000 other Goldeneyes!   Seems a daunting  task.   Do you have a
>method or ascribe this to luck, or something  else?   Despite many visits 
>I've yet
>to pick out that white-fronted  goose in SB and hope to improve my (where's
>Waldo) technique!
>
>As for sightings, I also visited Shelburne Bay today (approximately 3-4  pm).
>   Sighted the following:
>
>Mallards (100+)
>Common Goldeneye  (~10)
>Am. Black Ducks  (5)
>Ring-billed Gulls (40+)
>Bald Eagle (1)
>Canada Geese (75)
>
>The eagle was particularly majestic, swooping down to pick up (?) from the
>ice and water several times, circle over the rocky outcropping at the 
>fishing
>access several times and generally putting on a spectacular show.
>
>About 4 pm, flock after flock of Canadas came down the bay and passed
>overhead, many hundreds, none stopping in the bay.   They seemed to 
>be  headed
>southeast, at low altitude.    Headed to Shelburne Pond,  perhaps?
>
>Terry
>
>
>
>In a message dated 1/22/2006 9:05:50 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
>Accompanied by Ted Murin, some interesting water birds observed today  (22
>January)
>
>Shelburne Bay:
>1 Pied-billed Grebe
>1 Snow  Goose
>1 White-fronted Goose
>1 Cackling Goose
>
>Crown Point Bridge  (visible from VT, but birds were actually in NY and
>mostly identified from  the NY side):
>2000-3000 Common Goldeneye
>1 (female) Barrow's  Goldeneye
>2 White-winged Scoter
>1 Long-tailed Duck
>28 Redhead
>2  Canvasback
>400-500 scaup (~70% greater, 30% lesser)
> > 100 Common  Merganser
>
>Allan
>
>
>
>*******************************************************************
>Allan  M. Strong
>University of Vermont
>The Rubenstein School of Environment and  Natural Resources
>347 Aiken Center
>Burlington, VT  05405
>802-656-2910
>*******************************************************************



*******************************************************************
Allan M. Strong
University of Vermont
The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
347 Aiken Center
Burlington, VT 05405
802-656-2910
*******************************************************************