[BellaDonna]

My precious little Bella doesn't just bark for the sake of barking but if she wants to play she will bark trying to get the other dogs to PLAY with her. She also LOVES to bark if she see's someone outside a window.
I think your idea of recording to see how much and long she barks is a great idea. You should also jot down the time and duration if you can for easy referral if you need to speak to someone about it.
I do think the Ultra sonic bark deterrent might be helpful. Since you only have one dog it might have a longer lasting effect on him. My dogs definately pay attention to that, but since I have a pack it affects some of them more than others and when one dog barks it encourages the others to follow suit even if they weren't going to bark to start with.
My advise would be to continue to record and get you an ultra sonic bark deterrent and place it specifically near the window. If you need to keep your curtains shut while you are gone I wouldn't worry to much about because when you get home he will enjoy his window time all that much more.