Marshall, Hope you get a life bird today. Confession is good for the soul. Thrash yourself with a stick. At least you treated everyone to a nice day during nice weather at a beautiful location. I usually make a bad call in the middle of winter so every one gets to freeze their rumps off. Besides, I enjoyed the huge flock of crowbills. Gary A. Griffith (BrdNSum@dpnet.net) The Hummingbird Society (www.hummingbird.org) Elkton, Maryland (302) 369-3699 Society (410) 392-4491 Home ---------- > Hello Ospreyers! > > This is my first post to MDOsprey though I have been listening in the > shadows > for a little while. I extend thanks and praise to Norm and Fran, as well as > to all subscribers, for some interesting discussions and a great listserv. > > With Patty Craig's report of a possible Yellow-billed Loon from St. > George's > Island, Saint Mary's County, it seemed an appropriate time to retract my > earlier report of a possible Yellow-billed Loon at Loch Raven Reservoir, > Baltimore County, January 5, 1997. My photos arrived back in late January > (shortly before I left for Mexico) and confirmed my growing suspicion - that I > had botched the call! > > It is clear to me now that I was fooled by the lighting and > misinterpreted > the field marks as a result. The light was bright on January 5 and not only > did the bill appear bright and yellowish, but the dark edges to the culmen and > the tomium seemed to vanish (and perhaps the culmen seemed straighter as well, > once the dark line vanished). Seeing the Common Loon in its place the next > day was suspicious, but in the overcast conditions it was so obviously a > Common Loon, with a curved culmen and dark edges to the culmen and tomium, > that I was convinced it was not the same bird. Late in the morning though, > the sun came out after the bird had drifted to the far side of the cove. > Under those conditions the bird appeared remarkably like the bird I had seen > the previous day. I know a number of Ospreyers and others showed up to look > that evening and the next morning, and I apologize to all for the red herring. > Ironically, that was the same day I first saw the Common (Ring-billed) Gull. > > I'll be down at St. George's Island early Friday morning...maybe I'll > get a > life bird > :-). I'll be back up in Annapolis by noon and will post something however the > search goes. > > Best, > > Marshall Iliff > miliff@aol.com > Annapolis, MD