[CT Birds] BARROWS GOLDENEYE

[Mntncougar at aol.com]

Saw 1 male Barrows Goldeneye in the CT River at Enfield, 11:00  AM - 1:00 PM 
today.   It was feeding very actively in the area  approximately even with the 
south end of the cemetery at the north end of  Pleasant Street in Enfield.  
At the time I observed him he was much  closer to the west bank of the river so 
a scope  is a necessity.  There is a good sized flock of  Goldeneye there, 
perhaps 20, but he did  not seem to be associating with  them particularly.  
When I first found him he was with a small group of  Common Mergansers, but when 
they moved he did not.  For about half the time  I observed him he was in the 
company of a female Goldeneye, so perhaps   there is an M-F pair.  At the 
distance I could not ID her.  At several  points  there was a male Common 
Goldeneye nearby (within 3 feet at  times) so I had excellent chances for comparison.  
I parked at the  north end of the cemetery and crossed the tracks and the 
overgrown floodplain  field to reach the bank of the  river.  The view is  very  
much obstructed unless you are right  on the water.   At that point I was 
considerably north of the  birds.  A better plan might be to walk down the  tracks 
about 300 yards and then go to the bank or perhaps drive back south  through 
the cemetery, park and go from there.  I didn't try so I don't know  what kind 
of access there is to the river bank at that point.  There are  also Hooded 
Mergs and Mallards in that area.
Don Morgan
Coventry




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