Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Barrows Goldeneye with green head sheen
Date: Mar 7 05:32:07 2012
From: Pterodroma at aol.com - Pterodroma at aol.com


Wow, fascinating photo capture there Kelly, very striking with both
goldeneyes comparatively in perfect or near perfect juxtaposition relative to
each other and to lighting that 'might' otherwise alter perception of sheen.
In this case even if that juxtaposition is ever so slightly 'off', casting
one head to the light one way, the other, another, it doesn't appear to me
to be enough to make such a striking difference as exhibited in your image.
Plus, it sounds like you didn't notice this feature on any of all the
other Barrow's Goldeneyes assembled and am guessing you probably put in some
time and effort consciously searching for such given this one individual was
such a 'stand out' in the crowd.

One thing I do notice is that the scapular spots are slightly larger on the
'green' headed bird, smaller in the 'purple' head and more typical or
closer to average amongst Barrow's. Common Goldeneyes have much more white in
the scapulars of course. However, the scapular spots shown on both birds
in your image still lean to looking like 'spots' as opposed to something
vastly more extensively white and this may not be a point to even argue at
all given natural variation among individuals. So, you might have something
curiously interesting there, curious anyway no matter how you slice it, and
it may well have some genes of some 'ancient' Common Goldeneye ancestry as
you tossed out for our rumination.

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA