>Laurie,
>
>I should have sent this last night, but got sidetracked. 
>
>Yesterday, February 27, Hank Burk and his wife Karin, I and Karen Thompson, went to the 
>Delaware to look for the Barrow's Goldeneye at Foul Rift. We approached from the southern 
>end of Foul Rift Road in the fog and generally lousy weather. As we drove in by the few houses 
>that make up the village, we stopped at the river to scan. Karin Burk spotted the first bird 
>that came into view through the fog and said, "here comes a duck." We focussed on the bird, 
>which was only 20-30 feet off the bank, and I noted, "that's not a duck, that's a loon." Karen 
>said, "what kind of loon?" After about ten seconds of silence, Hank said "Pacific Loon!" and I 
>quickly agreed "you're right", having independently come to the same conclusion. We watched 
>the bird for perhaps another minute as it drifted downstream close to the shore and disappeared. 
>We subsequently encountered Randy Thompson and a group of Pa. birders who had seen a 
>distant loon through the fog further north along Foul Rift Road, but there were no other 
>confirmed sightings that day. One of Randy's group later said that he had seen a loon under 
>the bridge in Belvidere (perhaps one-half mile north) on Friday that might have been the
>same bird, although he hadn't recognized it at the time. 
>
>The Pacific Loon was obviously a loon when Hank and I first looked at it, but a small loon. 
>The striking feature was the small, slender, straight bill, which led me to realize that it was
>likely a Pacific Loon. On close examination, and we did have a pretty good, but short, study, 
>the smaller, more rounded head, the sharp demarcation between the dark nape and whiter 
>fore-neck helped to confirm the identification. The bird showed no sign of white at the 
>waterline in the rear half, so was not likely an Arctic, and Karen Thompson noted the characteristic 
>chin-strap of a Pacific. The bird appeared to be just starting it's molt into breeding plumage, as the 
>back showed a spangling of white, but the head and neck pattern were pretty typical winter plumage. 
>Hopefully, others will get to see this surprising rarity at this location.
>
>Incidentally, we birded the area for about three hours, and never saw a goldeneye of either species.
>
>Bill Boyle & Karen Thompson

>Hank & Karin Burk