[MDOsprey] Pacific Loon, Romancoke, Queen Anne's Co. 11/28
Jlstasz@aol.com
Mon, 29 Nov 1999 10:30:19 EST
Hi Folks!
On my way home from birding the Lower Eastern Shore I stopped by the old
Romancoke pier on Kent I. to scan for waterfowl. I still needed Common Loon,
Oldsquaw, and any scoter for my Queen Anne's County Year List.
The first loon I spotted was a Red-throated. The second was not a Common or a
Red-throated. It was bobbing in the swell .25-.5 mile ENE. The sun was low
behind, no clouds, no heat shimmer, and the wind creating only a slight swell
[the bird bobbed up and down, but was never behind any swell].
The bird was facing north the entire time and just sat [no diving]. The
generally profile was more like a Common Loon, than Red-throated, in that the
bill was neither upturned nor pointed upwards. The bill was tapered to a
point on both mandible and culmen and appeared to be a uniform dark color.
The top of the head and back of the neck were overall slightly paler than the
back. Scalloping on the back indicated an immature. The throat and front of
the neck were white; the white did not extend level with or around the eye.
The white of the front of the neck was sharply demarcated from the side of
the neck by a straight border; the border was darker than the back of the
neck.
I made a sketch on a scarp of paper, but the bird was too distant for photos.
At 40x in the Swarovski ST-80 the features noted above were evident. I zoomed
to 60x for a time, but prefer not having to depend on the limits of the
optics.
The light at this location is better midday and later.
I hope someone can get out there to confirm this report.
Good Birding!
Jim
Jim Stasz
North Beach MD
jlstasz@aol.com