[wisb] Possible PACIFIC LOON and other waterfowl

From: Thomas Schaefer <schaefertrees@xxxxxxxxx>
To: wisbirdn <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:15:53 -0500
Birded Pike mainly trying to ascertain waterfowl numbers.  From the beach 
parking lot I scanned with scope and realized that there were quite a few 
horned grebes.  When I was done counting I was shocked that I came to 56!!!  
AND, I'm sure I missed some that were swimming amid the diver duck rafts.  This 
is without question the largest number I've ever seen.  A good number for Pike 
is ~15.  They were grouped up like ducks- 12-15 per group.  Gave up on counting 
ducks after I got to 350 scaup and hadn't even scratched the surface.  95% of 
ducks were lesser scaup (~1000).  Next highest were ruddies (200), followed by 
redheads, ring-necks, cans, and a smattering of gadwall and wigeon.  A single 
drake pintail mid-lake was kind of odd to see.  Only mergs were hoodies (12).

Now the mystery.  Noticed a distant waterbird that appeared to be an immature 
common loon.  But on cranking up my scope I saw that the bill was much to 
slight for a common, and the head posture was wrong.  The head was not angled 
up and the bill was straight out from the face.  Granted this bird was pretty 
much on the opposite side of the lake, but I saw enough to know this bird was 
special.  Drove to an access on the bird's side of the lake and found it right 
away.  Bird's flanks were black to the waterline.  The head seemed "capped" and 
black down the rear of neck with a clean demarcation with the white of the 
fore-neck.  And when it started to feed I noticed it leap forward to dive, 
coming off the water like a scaup, etc. would.  Common loons seem to jut 
forward and sink when they go under.  Don't know if that trait means anything 
or not.  Told me that the bird was slighter and simply found it easier to "get 
air".

I will attempt another scan tomorrow.  Hopefully the bird is still around.  If 
I had to put it to species now, I would say PACIFIC LOON.

Tom Schaefer
Hartford
Washington County####################
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[wisb] Possible PACIFIC LOON and other waterfowl

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