Subject: Re: Brandt's Cormorant
Date: Nov 9 19:54:06 1997
From: Norton360 at aol.com - Norton360 at aol.com


In a message dated 97-11-08 04:30:55 EST, Michael Price writes:

<< 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?
>>

Well, I am sometimes a slow learner and am just really getting
comfortable with the field mark. But twice a cormorant flew by this weekend
which was obviously a BRANDT'S by forehead profile as well as neck posture in
one case and the other time the neck seemed a little crooked and I would not
have been sure without the forehead steepness. I think the field mark has
great promise. But by far and away the most impressive thing about the mark
is how far away Bob Boekelheide can tell Brandt's. It will take me some time
to work up to that distance.

Incidentally, Michael, thanks for the 'quick and dirty' on how to tell
flying THAYER'S. I had not progressed beyond telling standing birds. I took
two friends to the Elwha today to show them THAYER'S and intended to try
picking out flying THAYER'S but the gulls mostly wanted to just sit and were
on the other side of the river so by the time I had gotten my friends to see
all the points on standing birds plus the CALIFORNIA'S and the HERRING etc,
etc. it was time to leave. I'll have to go by myself. I figured about 70
THAYER'S in the small part of the flock I examined (but they usually are
somewhat segregated). Beautiful day with sun at our back but everyone on the
North Olympic Peninsula seemed to be out walking their dog. Full sun seemed
to partially wash out the leg color difference by the way. No problem, we
don't see much sun during THAYER'S season.
Bob Norton
Joyce, WA