Hi Tweets,

Murray Hansen writes:

(snip)
>my only question being: will I be able to see
>this difference in profile of my fly-by birds?

An iffy mark, I'd opine. Maybe between Double-crested and Brandt's, okay...
what's your take, Bob?

>Next: Herring v. Thayer's--Does anyone out there remember when we were first
>asked to try to differentiate between the two? Still trying!

Here's a quick 'n dirty way I use for adults based on wingtip pattern in
flight: if the bird has solid black on its outer primaries, above *and*
below, interrupted by white only as either a mirror or a wingtip, it's Herring.

If the black on the outer primaries appears as a row of 'fanned-out' black
lines on the upper surface contrasting with a pale underwing with a row of
dark dots along the trailing edge of the outer primaries on the
underside--someone calls it the 'Arctic Tern' look--it's Thayer's.

Double-check with leg color: grey-pink for Herring; purple/magenta pink for
Thayer's--usually there's no overlap there.

Michael Price We aren't flying...we're falling with style!
Vancouver BC Canada -Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story
mprice at mindlink.net