[wisb] Re: Pacific Loon photos

Hey everyone-
I urge you all to take a peek at these photos! They do an absolutely
beautiful job of illustrating the similarities and differences between
Common and Pacific Loons at relatively long distances or not so great looks
(good thing your batteries were out, Ryan!), typical of views for Pacific
Loon. A lot of people who haven't seen a Pacific Loon (or for whom it's
been a while, like me) may try to turn a funky Common into a Pacific. These
photos show the major differences in head shape and bill that characterize
these two species, and that are the first things one would notice when
scanning a big lake looking at loons. I especially like this one (
http://www.pbase.com/rbrady/image/139296251) showing the differences in the
clean vs. ragged color break along the neck, as well as head shape and bill
size and shape.

Thanks for sharing these Ryan.

Jesse Ellis
Madison


On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 1:00 PM, Ryan Brady <ryanbrady10@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>
> Tim and I had dead batteries in our digiscoping gear so here's the best I
> could get with my 400mm dSLR.
>
> All 7 images here:
> http://www.pbase.com/rbrady/palo2011
>
> Two best?
> http://www.pbase.com/rbrady/image/139296255
> http://www.pbase.com/rbrady/image/139296254
>
>
> I must be the king of blurry, long-distance Pacific Loon photos (see my
> collection at http://www.pbase.com/rbrady/pacificloon).
>
>
> More seriously, note in many photos the lack of a bulging/blocky head on
> the Pacific, relative to Commons. The Pacific's head often just appears
> like a continuation of the neck, rather than a bigger/wider head atop the
> neck. This is probably the single best cue for picking out this species at
> long distances on the Great Lakes, yet I don't think I've ever seen a field
> guide that mentions it, for some reason.
>
> Ryan Brady
> Washburn, Bayfield County, WI
> http://www.pbase.com/rbrady
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>


-- 
Jesse Ellis
Post-doctoral Researcher
Dept. of Zoology
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, Dane Co, WI


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