tides vs YBLO sightings--more conjecture <grin>

GREGORY.B.MILLER@bge.com
Tue, 24 Mar 1998 14:04:53 -0500 

     Thanks Tyler.  Although not statistically sound, it doesn't take a
     rocket scientist to draw decent info from this data.  What does a YBLO
     eat?  In my very limited experience with this bird, I have only
     watched it feed one time on a very small lake for about 1/2 hr.
     During this period, it ate panfish (bluegill) and fingerling fish
     (prob bass) exclusively.  One bluegill was large enough that it took 4
     1/2 minutes for the loon to swallow it!  Since the bird shows up in
     wide variety of places, I would assume that small fish (not limited to
     bluegill or bass) comprises a significant portion of it's diet.

     As a fisherman (sort of...when I'm not birding...ok...I take that
     back...*WHILE* I'm birding), I pay attention to the tides, water
     temperature, and wind direction depending on my target fish.  These
     three factors play a large part in being able to find fish *feeding*.
     I would guess (at this time of year), that warmer [shallower] water,
     an hour either side of low/high[secondary] tide (particularly when it
     coincides with morning or evening), and low winds from the West or
     Southwest would produce the best fishing conditions...and by my
     ultra-scientific reasoning <grin> also produce excellent conditions
     for YBLO sightings...I hope...

     Greg Miller
     Lusby, MD