The note below comes from Cambridge resident Diane Cole.
 
 
Les Roslund
Talbot County
Easton MD 21601
-----Original Message-----
From: Wanda Diane Cole [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2009 11:59 AM
To: Les Roslund
Subject: Ice along Cambridge waterfront; second female Barrow's

  
Here is an update on ice conditions as of 11:00 am Sat Jan 17th along the
Cambridge waterfront due to the cold temps.
 
Skin ice= paper thin; ducks can break through to dive but would have to plow
through it to paddle
Slush ice= thick but not consolidated into solid layer; too thick for ducks
to dive or padddle thru.  Not solid enough to stand on.
 
Long Wharf Park (Cambridge Creek and access to pier to the white shed w/red
roof)-  skim ice in the marina, slush ice outside
 
Cambridge Yacht Club- slush ice piled up bulkhead on Mill Street; skim ice
in marina.
 
Oakley St- wide strip of  slush  ice.  Ducks rafted up at outer edge in
river.  Need scope.
 
Great Marsh Park- slush ice across 40% of river channel.  Very small pockets
of open water at end of boat ramp and near piers, probably because Canada
geese are keeping it churned.  Lots of C Geese and canvasbacks near-shore;
scaup at outer edge in river.  Large rafts of canvasbacks in river.
 
NOTE:  There may be a second female Barrow's goldeneye.  There was a female
goldeneye with a yellow tip on her beak and BLOCK-shaped head diving alone
at the end of the boat ramp.  Three days ago,  I saw THE female Barrow's
goldeneye that everyone has been viewing in the company of a common
goldeneye inside the marina.  THAT Barrow's bill was 2/3 yellow, whereas the
common's bill was yellow only at the tip.  However, you could see that the
Barrow's head was distinctly BLOCK-shaped.  I've seen many Barrow's
goldeneyes  while winter vacationing, and participating in Christmas Bird
Counts, in northern WA state.  Barrow's always have a distinct block-shape
to their head, whereas the back of the commons' heads are nearly in-line
with the backs of their necks, like most ducks'.
 
Diane Cole
Cambridge, MD
 
PS While Cambridge may be a small town, it has a sizable police force, who
actively conducts radar throughout the City, and enforces full stops at stop
signs.  I say this because an out-of-state birder came barrelling into Long
Marsh Park after failing to stop at the stop sign at the end of Water Street
and High.  There's no need to hurry.  The ducks aren't going to go anywhere
soon.  Sometimes they flush when they are rafted close to shore and you get
OUT of your car.  I recommend using just your binoculares or window mounts
for your scope to avoid flushing near-shore birds.