Yellow-billed Loon - rumor du jour

Miliff (Miliff@aol.com)
Mon, 16 Mar 1998 22:53:56 EST 

Hello all,

     First, I would like to say that I appreciate the many kind responses to
my earlier post (Yellow-billed Loon retraction).  The whole experience
certainly has taught me a lot about loons, my own limitations, and given me
much respect for the Maryland birding community.  So often our mistakes and
blunders turn out to be our most educational experiences.

     I received this post over the weekend (3/15) and had assumed that it was
more widely known that the loon had been reported again.  Jim's recent post to
MDOsprey suggests that the word may not have been spread.  I am not sure yet
whether this report refers to Patty's same bird - no mention is made of the
condition of the breeding plumage or of the diagnostic bill pattern.  Larry
Lynch is active in Virginia and is apparently a careful observer.  In any
event, it may be worth some of us taking another trip down there.

       Best,

       Marshall Iliff
       miliff@aol.com
       Annapolis, MD      


Friends,

An outing of the Richmond Audubon Society to Patuxant Naval
Warfare Center, Point Lookout, St. George Island, and other
areas of St. Mary's County, Maryland, resulted in excellent birds,
including a YELLOW-BILLED LOON.   

Our guide from the Patuxant  "Natural Resource Office" had 
informed us that a Yellow-billed Loon had been reported on
St. George Creek a couple of days previously.   After our tour
of Patuxant and after a trip down to Point Lookout,  we decided
to try for the Y-B Loon.

After scanning several areas along the creek,  it was found
from the parking lot at Evan's restaurant. ( I believe that I have
the name of the restaurant correct.)  It was observed with 
excellent light conditions from approximately 4:30pm to 5:15pm.
It was fishing and cruising in the middle of the creek in the area
of a "crossed" pole (closer to the parking lot) and the channel 
marker. 

Description:   Adult,  non-breeding plummage.

     Bill:  pale... not yellow, but very light.   Common Loons were
                 also present, and the difference between the dark
                 bills of the Common Loons and the light bill of the
                 Y-B Loon was very discernable.  

     Head:   Brownish head was lighter than the dark, brown
                  back.  There appeared to be more white on the
                  neck than on the Common Loons.

     Profile:  Bill was tilted up slightly when the loon was moving
                 from spot to spot.  The overall, crusing profile gave 
                 the impression of a large, Red-throated Loon with the
                 upward tilt of the head and bill.

     Size:  It appeared to be approximately the same size to slightly
                larger than the Common Loons that were also present 
               at the time.  It was larger than the Red-throated Loons 
               which had been observed 15 to 20 minutes earlier in 
               another area.   

Additional details will be written for an official, records committee
submission.

We would appreciate any additional sightings to also be reported 
to me,  Larry Lynch, at:   birder6@juno.com.