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 (with a camera) I
forgot to take pictures. Silly.
Elisa Enders
Portsmouth, VA
