This looks to me to be a Pacific Loon. The white on the side of photo #2
would be more scalloped on the top, expecially on the flank, for an Arctic
Loon than this shows. The demarkation of the white on the cheek and the
dark of the neck does not extend far enough behind the eye as it would on an
Arctic Loon. Photo #3 seems to show a chip strap which is usually lacking
in an Arctic Loon. That's my two-cents worth.
Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA
At 02:12 PM 10/6/00 -0700, you wrote:
>This picture of the Hayden Lake loon was taken this morning by a friend
with a digital camera. I have not tried to send pictures before, so I hope
this goes out OK. I have other pictures from other angles, but will have to
find a way to have them scanned in from prints this weekend.
>
>The difficulty with this bird is in determining whether it is a Pacific
Loon or an Arctic Loon. An Arctic Loon has not been seen in Idaho before,
and is rare anywhere in the lower 48, so proper identification is critical.
>
>I would greatly appreciate input from those out there with experience and
opinions in this difficult differentiation. From my study of this group (I
have seen Pacific, but not Arctic), I understand that critical points
include the shape of the head (flattened on top in Arctic), a chin strap
(absent in Arctic), pattern and intensity of white in the cheek and ear
covert area (cleaner in Arctic), and white rump patch (prominent in Arctic).
See Sibley pp. 23 & 24, and NG3 pp. 20 & 21 for examples.
>
>The criticisms of an Arctic Loon diagnosis for this bird include a too
rounded head profile and a too indistinct rump patch.
>
>What do you think? Feel free to send this on to others who may be able to
help.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Stephen Lindsay
>Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
>slindsay at dmi.net
>
>
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>
><META content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1
http-equiv=Content-Type><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
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><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>This picture of the Hayden Lake loon was taken
>this morning by a friend with a digital camera. I have not tried to send
>pictures before, so I hope this goes out OK. I have other pictures from
>other angles, but will have to find a way to have them scanned in from prints
>this weekend.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>The difficulty with this bird is in
determining
>whether it is a Pacific Loon or an Arctic Loon. An Arctic Loon has not
>been seen in Idaho before, and is rare anywhere in the lower 48, so proper
>identification is critical.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>I would greatly appreciate input from those
out
>there with experience and opinions in this difficult differentiation.
>From
>my study of this group (I have seen Pacific, but not Arctic), I understand
that
>critical points include the shape of the head (flattened on top in Arctic), a
>chin strap (absent in Arctic), pattern and intensity of white in the cheek and
>ear covert area (cleaner in Arctic), and white rump patch (prominent in
>Arctic). See Sibley pp. 23 & 24, and NG3 pp. 20 & 21 for
>examples.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>The criticisms of an Arctic Loon diagnosis for
>this bird include a too rounded head profile and a too indistinct rump
>patch.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>What do you think? Feel free to send
this
>on to others who may be able to help.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2>Thanks,</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Stephen Lindsay<BR>Coeur d'Alene, Idaho<BR><A
>href="mailto:slindsay at dmi.net">slindsay at dmi.net</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
>
>Attachment Converted: c:\nwinfo\eudora\attach\Loon 2 72.jpg
>
* * * * * * * * * * *
* Denny Granstrand *
* Yakima, WA *
* osprey at nwinfo.net *
* * * * * * * * * * *