TN-birders,
Dollyann and I were birding in Meigs County today at the Hornsby Hollow
Recreation Area on highway 304 in Meigs County. This area is roughly 7 miles
north of highway 68, along highway 304. The recreation area is signed. We were
scoping out the middle of Watts Bar Lake from the Hornsby Hollow boat launch
area, scanning through all the near breeding plumaged Common Loons, when we
found a loon that had a grey top of the head and back of the neck, compared to
the black top of the head and black neck of the many Common Loons there. The
bird was feeding a lot and was hard to follow, as it would go under and surface
a long ways away from where it disappeared. After several sightings, we could
see that the top of the head was rounded and the dark area on the side of the
face included the eye (unlike Red-throated Loon in which the eye is surrounded
by a white area). The gray on the top of the head and back of the neck was
lighter than the dark back as well. Unusual as it is, we felt comfortable with
our ID as a Pacific Loon.
We eventually moved about 1.5 miles further south and found a TWRA boat launch
area that we will call the Roberts Ridge Road boat launch. Roberts Ridge Road
meets highway 304 directly across from this TWRA boat launch, but we could not
find a name for this launch area. It is merely a gravel parking area and launch
ramp. From here we scoped the lake and found 53 Common Loons and re-found the
Pacific Loon, which was somewhat closer than the sighting from Hornsby Hollow
boat launch. At one point I saw the partial necklace under the chin of the
Pacific, but again the bird was feeding a lot and you could scan a few times
back and forth and miss the bird when it was under the water.
Our first sighting was around 11:30 am. We called some friends and when they
got to the Roberts Ridge Rd. launch, we joined them to find the Pacific Loon
again, but it was somewhat further out in the middle of the lake, but still
feeding a lot. This was about 2:45 pm.
There must be a lot of fish in this area, as there were many loons and
cormorants. All the Common Loons save one was in or very nearly in breeding
plumage.
Great birding,
Ron Hoff and Dollyann Myers
Clinton, TN
