Anyone care to weigh in on common vs Barrow’s for this female goldeneye with chicks? The bill looks rather dark to me and the head / bill shape in the first two photos makes me think common, but in the other three pics it does seem like a rather abrupt forehead. FWIW, the CV’s top suggestion for all the pics is Barrow’s, for some reason.
I was also surprised that one chick (see last photo) was a strange pale yellow— just late at molting?
It just flew in my truck to hang out for a bit
These were confirmed at the time by British Columbia wildlife bios. Obviously a big deal at the time, as this would have been the only know mountain caribou in Montana at the time. Later that fall, there were two seen not far, north of the US/Canadian border. No new reports after that, that I am aware of.
Attracted to light trap (possibly eating the moths, etc).
I believe the upper of the two individuals in the first image might be a Labrador Sulphur. I am uncertain what the lower individual is. Perhaps Christina Sulphur? This spot on Mt Helena had at least 20 Sulphurs flitting about. I took a lot of pictures- but most show them in a closed wing posture.
Was just hiding in the oven and came out to peer around.
Positive identification of species group.
Collection date is approximate! Found dead in our house last summer.
Habitat here is montane forest - Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir with ninebark and snowberry understory.
Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius)
My cat found this little guy nesting behind a flap of bark on a golden willow in my yard.