Being in a mood to pursue will-o'-the-wisps this afternoon, I thought I'd follow up Ken Knittle's report of an Arctic Loon at Squaxin or Hartstene Islands. (No one else seems to have been interested--have I missed something, like a grand practical joke?) I got to Brisco Point, the southwesternmost point of Hartstene, and started scanning with my Kowa scope. The lighting was fairly good, the water moderately choppy. Quite a few cormorants around, some Red-necked Grebes and Surf Scoters, and then, finally a loon! But this was clearly a Common Loon, still mostly in alternate plumage. Then another loon, much farther out, and damn near impossible to see well, even with Kowa optics. Almost all dark, but with no sign of white sides and certainly no sign of the critical light spot near the posterior that's diagnostic of Arctic Loons. This raises an issue for me: Even though Squaxin and Hartstene Islands are pretty close, a bird said to be at the southern end of Squaxin would still be a looooong way from Hartstene, and I think it would take extraordinary optics and observational skill to be able to pick out those light lateral markings on any purported Arctic Loon. I tried to find other places from which to view the channel between the islands, but virtually every place along the west side of Hartstene that might offer a view of the water is closed-off private property. However, I did find one little spot halfway up the island, where I found two more loons, both of them clearly Common Loons.
I was quite unfamiliar with Hartstene, but it's a beautiful, heavily wooded place. Brisco Point is signed private property, but no one objected to my being there, and one island resident who came along was very friendly. You get to Brisco Point by continuing to follow the main island road south, as it jogs eastward and twists and turns. Halfway up the island, South Island Drive comes off heading west and southwest, and at 1.75 miles from its junction with the main north-south road, I found a little spot to observe the water--I had to go past it and turn around. It's also marked private property, but without a No Trespassing sign, and there was no one around anyway. So maybe someone else will have better luck, but I still say that observing those critical field marks--which are right along the water line, hidden by even moderate waves--on any loon.

Burt Guttman
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, WA 98505 guttmanb at evergreen.edu <mailto:guttmanb at evergreen.edu>
Home: 7334 Holmes Island Road S. E., Olympia, 98503

________________________________

From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu on behalf of washingtonbirder.Ken Knittle
Sent: Sat 9/18/2010 11:20 AM
To: TWEETERS
Subject: [Tweeters] Arctic Loon in Mason County


A call (11 am) from Tom Mansfield and Terry Sisson asked me to post the information about an Arctic Loon in Mason County. The Arctic Loon is off the southern end of Squaxin Island seen from the southern end of Hartstene Island. The road they were on is Squaxin Rd. with a small spur (un-named) to a vanage point looking towards the southern end of Squaxin Island.

Hopefully others can get over there to look for it and perhaps get a photo. Sounded like the Arctic Loon was coming out of breeding plumage.





Ken Knittle
Vancouver WA 98665

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