Hi folks, Whew!! Am I glad that someone with a lot more skill and experience got to this bird while it was still around. The location of across the river and south a bit sounds exactly like where it was heading to when Elizabeth and I saw it. We had the luck to see it from only about 20 feet out, or else I never would have made anything of it. I also would have been lost without the help of Elizabeth Winter, who has some experience with YBLO. The heavy neck, I notice, is something I neglected to mention. We never saw the 2nd neck band or the legs, as it was very actively diving. And lucky me - today I learned the term "gonydial break" Good birding, Charlie Muise --- Jane Kostenko <jkostenko@somd.lib.md.us> wrote: > The Sea Breeze picnic table effect has hit! > Yes, the possible > YELLOW-BILLED LOON, reported November 3 by > Charlie Muise was seen from the > Sea Breeze Restaurant in St. Mary's County (you > remember, the crabhouse with > the Kelp Gull?) by Paul O'Brien and visiting > Idaho birder John Gatchet (very > familiar with yellow-billed loons) at 12:30 > today, November 4. They watched > it from across the shore until it flew off > downriver at 2 p.m. (minutes > before I got there). > Apologies in advance to Paul O'Brien for > any errors (the errors will be > mine, not his) in this posting. I was > scribbling notes and key words, but > one line I wrote word for word, "I feel very > confident about it." -- "it" > being the ID of this loon as yellow-billed. > Mind you that the loon in > question was viewed from across the river (it > was in Calvert County waters > the whole time, including when it flew) and > there was shimmer, which Paul > said had lessened as time passed. Conditions > were/are: clear skies, mild > breeze, temps in the 50s, bright sun. Time: > 12:30 p.m. - 1:55 or 2 p.m. Here > goes: > > o intermediate plumage > o two dark brown bands on the neck, seen > best when it flew. Usually only > saw one band when it was diving > o neck was "substantial" > o very dark/dark brown head > o no auricular spot (Paul explained the > coloration on the head that made > this, but I didn't get it all down) > o straw yellow bill (Paul said that flash of > light color (the bill) was > what first caught his eye as he was scanning > the distant loons) > o bill deep at base with sharp gonydial > break halfway out > o bill was kept upright most of the time > o some duskiness at base, top and bottom > (culmen), not at the gape > o when it flew, Paul felt the legs and feet > were light/pinkish, and gave > the impression of not being as big as the legs > and feet of the common loon > While it was too far out for this detail, > what had captured Paul's > interest in this sighting was Charlie's > description of the eye-ring (I > believe I've got that right, not the neck > ring). > The loon was at the Sea Breeze, but on the > picnic table side of the > restaurant, and directly across the river, > where there is a cluster of > buildings on a grassy slope, then a single > building on a grassy slope. The > bird fed between those areas, if I've got this > right. > > Jane Kostenko > jkostenko@somd.lib.md.us > California, Maryland > > Yesterday is history. > Tomorrow is a mystery. > Today is a gift; that's why they call it the > PRESENT. > > > > ===== ****************************** Charlie Muise, Naturalist Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary Maryland, USA cmmbirds@yahoo.com "Leave the gun; take the cannoli" ****************************** __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com