Andy (and Tweeters),

You've hit on something that I first noticed over 30 years ago (I've
birded Deception Pass frequently since the late 1960s). The large
flocks of loons that spend the winter there are almost all
Red-throated! They behave almost exactly the way that flocks of
Pacific Loons do in other tide-rip areas (e.g. Active Pass and Porlier
Pass in B.C.'s Gulf Islands, Seymour Narrows north of Campbell River,
or off Point Roberts). Deception Pass, of course, has extremely strong
currents, reaching 8 knots on occasion, which undoubtedly brings lots
of edible stuff to the surface.

Deception Pass is the only place I've ever seen where Red-throats
concentrate in tide-rip areas (as noted, this is much more typical of
Pacific Loons). I'm at a loss to explain why, except to note that
Skagit Bay, east of Deception Pass, is fairly shallow, and maybe
better habitat for Red-throats than for Pacific Loons. Perhaps a
scientific study is in order here, to determine if Red-throated Loons
are exploiting Deception Pass differently from the way Pacific Loons
exploit other narrow channels with strong currents.

I've copied Terry Wahl and the Island Birders group, in case Terry or
anyone else has some bright ideas about this.

Wayne C. Weber
Kamloops and Delta, BC
contopus at shaw.ca


----- Original Message -----
From: Andy Stepniewski <steppie at nwinfo.net>
To: TWEETERS <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 7:56 AM
Subject: Red-throated Loons in tidal rips?


> Tweeters,
> Conventional wisdom is that Red-throated Loons favor shallow,
protected
> marine bays in winter. However, while enjoying the masses of loons
and
> cormorants working the ebb flood at Deception Pass in February, I
was
> surprised to note virtually ALL loons were Red-throated! There were
a few
> Commons, but no Pacifics. I counted at least 100 Red-throated Loons
there.
> Is this the usual species of loon in the tidal rip at Deception
Pass? And if
> so, is the presence of Red-throats in fast moving, deep waters at
Deception
> Pass unique for this species in Washington?
>
> Thanks for any input readers can provide here.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Andy Stepniewski
> Wapato WA
> steppie at nwinfo.net
>
>
>
>