[MDOsprey] YBLO this evening 11/5 (not)
Gregory B Miller (gregorym@erols.com)
Fri, 05 Nov 1999 23:05:14 -0500
Loon Chasers,
Phil Davis...thanks. Add my cell phone to LoonNet: 410-599-3932. My
home phone is 301-373-3452. If the Sandgates Loon continues, my work
number is 301-FIB-SICK. (I'm not making this up! 301-342-7425)
The Sandgates Loon was not seen this afternoon or this evening, though
several birders were present off and on during afternoon and evening
hours. The loons appear to gather in loose groups in the evening (about
sunset 5:00pm and after) and disperse in morning (around 7:30am).
Just a note of caution: tonight, there was a single immature Common Loon
with a nice yellow bill present near the dock at the Sea Breeze
Restaurant. The dark on the culmen on this bird is quite difficult to
see even at fairly close range. The bill was held at parallel, though,
and lacked the immensity of a YBLO as well as the sharp gonydeal angle
of the lower mandible. The crown and back of the neck on this COLO were
darker than the back color as well.
Mark Hoffman is correct. Though all of us would dearly love to make
this a Yellow-billed Loon (and it may well be just that), we will need
to "prove" it. This will require excellent detailed notes by many
observers, careful photographs, and a controlled measure of patience.
While I'd like nothing more than to sound the alarm for the multitudes
to descend again on the Sea Breeze, I cannot MAKE this thing into a
100%, positively identified Yellow-billed Loon (at least the view that I
had). Paul's description is our best write up so far (and Charlie,
thanks for your initial post). But I am quite certain that photographs
will be required to help this bird pass any ID test. And we need more
close views and documentation, too.
Besides the identification concerns, any Yellow-billed Loon found EAST
of the Great Lakes would be considered an extreme rarity.
I will birding the Patuxent River from my back yard and maybe Greenwell
St Pk tomorrow from 6:50-7:15am. If not successful there, I head on
down to the Sea Breeze Restaurant (7:30am or so). If you find the bird,
you can reach me at home at 301-373-3452 or on my cell phone at
410-599-3932. Since I don't live far from Sandgates, I'll volunteer to
post to MDOsprey as soon as possible. If rpts are negative, I'll
probably only post late morning, mid-afternoon, and evening.
Places to look for Sandgates Loon:
1) The Sea Breeze Restaurant. Use Jane Kostenko's excellent directions
posted previously. It might be advantageous to wait here as it has seen
from here at some time every day.
2) Greenwell State Park. From the Sea Breeze, follow Sandgates Rd back
out to Rt 235 and turn left (southeast). Go 3 miles to the traffic
light at Rt 245 (Sotterly Rd--there's a Shell station on the corner).
Turn left (north) and go 2 miles to Steer Horn Neck Rd (a sign for
Greenwell is here). Turn right. Go approximately 1 mile and turn into
the main entrance to Greenwell State Park on your left. Go about 1/4
mile and park on the right beside the big brown wooden sign that has a
map of the park. Continue on foot (the same direction you drove in) and
take the 2nd right (it veers off at an angle) down to the waterfront.
You can bird from the pier.
3) My back yard (you have to promise to tell me if you find a new yard
bird! <grin>). From Greenwell, return to Steer Horn Neck Rd. Turn left
and go 1/2 mile. Immediately past a nice gray house trailer are two
parallel drives on the left. Take the 2nd (furthest) driveway just
beyond the mailbox with the number 667 on it. Continue straight toward
the river, passing two more drives to the right. The drive curves then
curves sharply right, then left again, skirting my neighbor's house.
Keep driving a little further and you'll see a little sign that says
45024 in front of a tree. Welcome to my yard. The house is a small
dull yellow modular off to your right. The drive is under leaves and
loops past the house and around to the shed and back to the drive.
There's plenty of parking to your immediate left (a 3-car garage full of
junk, of course). You can park next to the garage area. There is also
a dilapidated historic summer home on the property which is off limits.
But if you walk that direction toward the northeast corner of the lot,
there is a pier which you may use, or you can just scope from the yard
itself. I do not own the place, I only rent. Feel free to bird here,
just put on your good manners. :-)
I've got pictures of the house online as well as a map of Greenwell St
Park at:
http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/hawk-owl
The map of Greenwell still has a red arrow where I saw the Connecticut
Warbler. Parking is in the area on the right side of the map where the
arrow for "Sign" appears.
Good luck everybody!
--
Greg Miller
45024 Steer Horn Neck Rd
Hollywood, Maryland, USA
Home- gregorym@erols.com or hawk-owl@yahoo.com
WWW- http://www.erols.com/gregorym