Re: Yellow-billed Loons...
Gary A. Griffith (brdnsum@dpnet.net)
Fri, 13 Mar 98 07:16:08 PST
Marshall,
Hope you get a life bird today. Confession is good for the soul. Thrash yourself with a stick.
At least you treated everyone to a nice day during nice weather at a beautiful location. I usually make a bad call in the middle of winter so every one gets to freeze their rumps off. Besides, I enjoyed the huge flock of crowbills.
Gary A. Griffith (BrdNSum@dpnet.net)
The Hummingbird Society (www.hummingbird.org)
Elkton, Maryland
(302) 369-3699 Society
(410) 392-4491 Home
----------
> Hello Ospreyers!
>
> This is my first post to MDOsprey though I have been listening in the
> shadows
> for a little while. I extend thanks and praise to Norm and Fran, as well as
> to all subscribers, for some interesting discussions and a great listserv.
>
> With Patty Craig's report of a possible Yellow-billed Loon from St.
> George's
> Island, Saint Mary's County, it seemed an appropriate time to retract my
> earlier report of a possible Yellow-billed Loon at Loch Raven Reservoir,
> Baltimore County, January 5, 1997. My photos arrived back in late January
> (shortly before I left for Mexico) and confirmed my growing suspicion - that I
> had botched the call!
>
> It is clear to me now that I was fooled by the lighting and
> misinterpreted
> the field marks as a result. The light was bright on January 5 and not only
> did the bill appear bright and yellowish, but the dark edges to the culmen and
> the tomium seemed to vanish (and perhaps the culmen seemed straighter as well,
> once the dark line vanished). Seeing the Common Loon in its place the next
> day was suspicious, but in the overcast conditions it was so obviously a
> Common Loon, with a curved culmen and dark edges to the culmen and tomium,
> that I was convinced it was not the same bird. Late in the morning though,
> the sun came out after the bird had drifted to the far side of the cove.
> Under those conditions the bird appeared remarkably like the bird I had seen
> the previous day. I know a number of Ospreyers and others showed up to look
> that evening and the next morning, and I apologize to all for the red herring.
> Ironically, that was the same day I first saw the Common (Ring-billed) Gull.
>
> I'll be down at St. George's Island early Friday morning...maybe I'll
> get a
> life bird
> :-). I'll be back up in Annapolis by noon and will post something however the
> search goes.
>
> Best,
>
> Marshall Iliff
> miliff@aol.com
> Annapolis, MD