If I leave work on time today, I'm planning to try to obtain photographs of
this loon.
Elisa Enders
Portsmouth, VA
From: elisaenders@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:40:58 -0400
Subject: [Va-bird] possible Pacific Loon, Virginia Beach, VA
I stopped by the ponds at the Sherwood Lakes development on Locksley Arch,
off Princess Anne Road, around 6:30pm. Lesser Scaup, Pied-billed Grebes,
Bufflehead, Red-breasted Mergansers, a Gadwall, Horned Grebes, and Common
Loons were present on the "north" pond, but a unusual loon was keeping
company with the Commons. It showed little white on the flanks, and was dark
on the back, with a small amount of white flecking on the back. The chest,
neck (front), and throat were white. The neck (back) and head were
dark...dark gray, in my opinion. The line between white and dark on the neck
was very distinct. The bird did not show the "chin-strap" or "necklace" that
I would expect to be seen on a Pacific Loon. Also, the flecking on the back
seems to math Red-throated more, but the bill was not angled upward and there
was no white between the eye and bill. I think the bird is a Pacific Loon,
but I have only seen a handful of these birds. Even though I had a camera and
a cell phone (wit
h a camera) I forgot to take pictures. Silly.
Elisa Enders
Portsmouth, VA
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