The search is over! Many people recognized my mystery bird right off as a pigeon guillemot--and even provided picture refs.

Here are the links, in case others are interested:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i0290id.html
http://birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?value=search&id=222
http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/living_species/default.asp?hOri=1&inhab=457

Thanks very much for your help! This list is great!

Sue
Bainbridge Island
sbtrini at u.washington.edu
----- Original Message -----
From: Susan Trinidad
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 10:02 AM
Subject: Can anyone identify this bird?


Hello--

I'm new to the list, hoping for help with a bird ID. I row off Bainbridge Island and have noticed a bird I can't identify in Sibley or any of the web resources I've found so far. I'm not sure whether it's a duck or an auk of some kind. From what I can tell, it is not a scoter or a scaup or a grebe. (I am not a real birder!)

It is a little bit bigger than a bufflehead. Its appearance is all black while on the water, with white wing patches in flight. It has bright red feet, runs on the water to take off, and makes a whistling noise when it takes off.

For what it's worth, I've seen them around Bainbridge in years past, but never into the summer before; they have generally kept the same migration schedule as the buffles, scoters, etc. There seem to be young ones around this summer, too, which is also a first (to my knowledge and that of other neighbors).

Thanks for any insights!

Sue Trinidad
Bainbridge Island, WA
sbtrini at u.washington.edu