Pacific Loon today (June 2)
GAIL@UMDD.UMD.EDU
Tue, 2 Jun 98 16:24:27 EDT
My husband Barry got back about an hour ago from seeing the Pacific Loon
in the Washington Channel, from about 2 pm to nearly 3 pm. When he first
arrived, he started scanning from the first parking lot after Ohio Dr. becomes
one-way, without seeing the bird. After several stops he started to get
worried. However, he eventually located the Loon close to the Hains Point
seawall about opposite the point at Ft. McNair (where the Anacostia comes
in). When he walked up to be level with it, it showed signs of agitation
and swam/dived away from him to be about 20 yards out. He then stood very still
and it came back, and resumed feeding right along the seawall, always moving
upstream (towards the bridges). For a while it sat and preened, then dove,
caught, killed and ate an eel, only about 3 yards away! It then commenced
diving regularly, obviously into a "feeding mode." He followed it to a point
about half-way back to the beginning of the one-way stretch.
He noted several points re the ID (and is writing notes). The throat patch was
definitely purple glossed. The white neck stripes were thinner than the black,
a point for Pacific as opposed to Arctic Loon. The nape was "puffy" and paler
grey than the face, again supportive of Pacific Loon. There was no white
flank patch, although it sometimes showed a bit of white at the water line.
Appeared to be about 6 neck stripes (he isn't 100% sure on this) which could
be either species (this characteristic overlaps).
Barry has seen Black-throated Diver numerous times in the UK and Pacific
on the west coast, and the two together in 1991 in California.
A very nice bird -- wonder how long it plans to stay?
Gail Mackiernan
gail@umdd.umd.edu
Silver Spring, MD