Y-b Loon Sighting Summary, St. Mary's County, MD

Jane Kostenko (jkostenko@osprey.smcm.edu)
Tue, 24 Mar 1998 07:50:39 -0500 

  Here's a summary of sightings and non-sightings of
the possible yellow-billed loon in St. Mary's County;
it is by no means a definitive list (I know I'm
forgetting or don't know of someone's trip down
here), so please add to it to fill in the picture.
Times are approximate!

Thursday, 3/12--Patty Craig makes the initial
  sighting around 3:15 and Patty stayed 'til 3:45 p.m. 
Friday, 3/13--Tyler Bell, Jim Stasz, and I are
  there from sunrise (6:15 a.m.) 'til around
  7:30 a.m. Marshall and Jim stayed beyond that
  time. No prospective bird seen. Throughout that
  day, Gail Mackiernan and Barry, Paul O'Brien,
  and others came down without results. Local birders
  Jack Leighty, Susan Noble, Bob Boxwell, and Patty
  Craig try mid-afternoon. Bev and Warren Walker and I
  tried from 4:15-4:45 without luck.
Saturday, 3/14--Virginia birding group sees the bird
  from around 4:30-5:30 p.m. but word doesn't get out
  about this sighting until Tuesday.
Sunday, 3/15, and Monday, 3/16--no sightings reported.
Tuesday, 3/17--cold, windy. Patty Craig and I search
  from 1:15-2:45 p.m. No bird. Tyler Bell tried from
  4:15-5:30 p.m. without success.
Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat., 3/18-21, saw St. Mary's County
  get a total of 4.1 cumulative inches of rain. No
  reported sightings.
Sunday, 3/22--Leo Weigant has the bird right off the
  pier at 10 a.m. Tried to call many local birders, but
  was thwarted by answering machines and unlisted numbers;
  by the time Leo called us, we were still entertaining
  non-birding company and couldn't get away before dusk.
Monday, 3/23--Patty and Paul tried for the bird early- to
  mid-afternoon, without a positive sighting.

  This poor bird has had the worst possible luck, coming as
it did during a very cold, windy, wet, spell. It's location
on St. George's Island makes it a relatively long drive, 
even within the county, and I confess that we local birders
have just not made routine trips out there to try for it on
a daily basis. Tyler and I are going mid-afternoon today,
and will report, regardless of outcome.

Jane Kostenko
jkostenko@osprey.smcm.edu
california, md
301-862-4623