[EBB Sightings] Fwd: Barrow's Goldeneye and Common Goldeneye flock (somewhat out of area)

--- In northbaybirds at yahoogroups.com, "Ctalcroft"  wrote:

Apologies in advance for a technically out-of-area post, but I know people look at this from out of the strictly North Bay Area. I was in Oakland today looking for Lake Merritt, as I had heard it was a good place for wintering ducks. I ended up not finding it. What I found (I see after getting home and looking at maps) was the channel that links the Lake to the ocean, at Peralta Park, on 10th St. adjacent to Laney College. There is a flock of about 100 COMMON GOLDENEYES and BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, males and females, along with juveniles. About 20% of the birds were Barrow's. Just wanted to mention it as it's an excellent opportunity to see these birds together at close range. Also interesting was that many of the female Barrow's goldeneyes appeared to already be moving into breeding plumage, if my understanding of the bill colors is correct (that the female Barrow's has a bright orange bill in breeding plumage, a dull brown one in winter plumage).There was also a lone female HOODED MERGANSER there along with many greater scaup and coots--not to mention hundreds of cedar waxwings. Who knows what was on Lake Merritt proper? Also got a good shot of a TOWNSEND"S WARBLER earlier in the day. Unfortunately the light wasn't very good at the lake, so the duck photos aren't much, but in the one linked to below you can see both species together with what I think must be a juvenile common goldeneye (to the right) and a juvenile Barrow's (front-most), although not sure about that last. Seen at about 3:00 o'clock, January 2.

Goldeneyes
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/1947215/sn/1569301376/name/Goldeneyes+small.jpg
Hooded Merganser
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/1947215/sn/1186716978/name/Merganser+small.jpg
Townsend's warbler
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/1947215/sn/1399816393/name/Townsend%27s+Warbler+small.jpg

Colin Talcroft
Santa Rosa

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