I had the good fortune of checking a few spots this morning near Rice Lake and managed some good finds including 5 Canvasbacks off Herkimer Point; 2 Sandhill Cranes feeding in field off Birdsall Line; 1 Common Loon off Birdsall Wharf; 3 Trumpeter swans off Duncan’s Line (initially observed by T. Cameron yesterday); and Osprey in 4 different locations. However, the big find is what I believe to be an adult male Barrow’s Goldeneye off Asphodel Heights Park (end of 3rd Line). The bird was with 4 adult male Common Goldeneye, all displaying for 2 females (suspect COGO); the BAGO had very distinctive and evident crescent patterns on head and much darker/almost striped back and sides. Ability to compare with the COGOs it was with assisted greatly in suggesting it was BAGO. I observed the bird at 11:45 today, approx. 200m west of the Asphodel Heights Park boat ramp. Also a Sandhill Crane was calling and circling overhead.
Location: Rice Lake
Observer: Scott Gibson
