Several of us are interested in seeing the Pacific Loon if it hangs around. 
If anyone sees it, would they please post it with specifics as to where and 
when they saw it.  Thanks.

Winger West
Millersville, MD


 ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Scott Baron" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2007 11:41 PM
> Subject: [MDOSPREY] Garrett County, April 13 and 14 - Pacific Loon
>
>
>> Hello, birders.
>>
>> I spent time in far western MD and nearby WV on Friday
>> and Saturday to help perform some habitat restoration
>> for a nature preserve.  Best bird was a
>> well observed PACIFIC LOON
.
>>
>> A co-worker and I woke up early the next morning to
>> get in some birding before breakfast.  We had talked
>> about going to the lake so we headed straight there.
>> As we approached the lake shore, we almost immediately
>> spotted a beautiful PACIFIC LOON toward the other side
>> of the lake.  My co-worker hadn't seen one before, I
>> have limited experience with this species.  This bird
>> sported a beautiful silvery crown and nape, which
>> seemed to blend into a black throat.  The back was
>> dark with white markings.  The bill was clearly not
>> the big dagger shaped bill of the Common, nor the
>> slim, upturned bill of the Red-throated.  Rather, it
>> was thicker than a Red-throateds and straight.  It
>> seemed fairly short to me, shorter than what an Artic
>> Loon's bill is supposed to look like.  The bird's
>> breast was white.  The loon called twice.  My
>> co-worker aptly described it as a short trumpet.  We
>> watched this western vagrant for about 5 minutes
>> before it took off.  It slowly circled the lake a few
>> times, going higher and higher.  I stopped watching
>> the bird to sketch it.  When I looked again I couldn't
>> find it.  I assume that it headed north?  I feel
>> pretty confident of the ID.  According to Sibley, if
>> the bird was an Artic it should have shown a larger
>> bill and the stripes on the side of the neck would
>> have been obvious.  Artics are extremely rare in the
>> East anyway.  I wonder where this bird spent the
>> winter?

>> Scott Baron
>> Fairfax, Va.