With regard to the possible Arctic Loon. Two other characters that might be
significant are the bill carriage: Arctic Loons are said to carry the bill
angle upwards more like Yellow-billed and Red-throated, while Pacific's
carry it horizontal (more often), and the somewhat heavier head and bill of
the Arctic than the Pacific and paler nape and crown of the Pacific (if I
haven't gotten it turned around).

Gene Hunn.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen L. Lindsay, PhD, DVM" <slindsay at dmi.net>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>; "inland-nw-birders"
<inland-nw-birders at uidaho.edu>; "IBLE" <ible at egroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 7:00 PM
Subject: N Idaho Arctic Loon


> The possible ARCTIC LOON was sighted twice today at the same spot as
> yesterday on Hayden Lake, north of Coeur d'Alene.
>
> This afternoon Shirley Sturts located the bird, again in the vicinity of
> Red-necked Grebes and a Common Loon. She confirmed a Pacific Loon-like
bird
> that lacked a chin strap and had prominent white flank patches.
>
> This evening I again found the bird, but at a distance from shore too far
to
> see detail other than flashes of white at the rump as it turned in the
> reflection of the setting sun. The loon was diving frequently with no
other
> birds around.
>
> Stephen Lindsay
> Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
> slindsay at dmi.net
>
>