Dennis,

I'll be darned... I don't remember any pictures looking like that in my
field guides... I'll have to go look again!!

Cheers,
Jim

On Mon, 9 Oct 1995, Dennis Paulson wrote:

> Jim Ha wrote:
>
> >Then a bird turned away and I realized that the BACK of the head
> >and neck was white.
> >
> >So we are talking about a bird that is decidely loon-like (and I've seen
> >many loons), but with a black (ok, VERY dark maybe) throat and sides of
> >neck blending to quite white on the back of the head and neck. No sharp
> >line between light and dark. The back was dark with typical loon
> >speckling or checkerboard pattern. We watched them for at least half an
> >hour as they slowly drifted south, diving frequently. Oddest thing I
> >have ever seen, I think. Any ideas? Was this a common loon in some sort
> >of strange molt stage: that's the best I've come up with?
> >
> >Any help is appreciated; I'm from back East and not terribly familiar
> >with many of the Northwest waterbirds!
>
> Jim, those were Pacific Loons in breeding plumage. The crown and hindneck
> are gray in fresh breeding plumage, and the gray fades to whitish or even
> white by the time they return here. They retain breeding plumage quite
> late in the fall, and I have seen flocks exactly as you described on
> numerous occasions in October.
>
> Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
> Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
> University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
> Tacoma, WA 98416
>
>
>