Stanldley Lake

[Peter Gent]

All, 

More careful observation with Mark Miller and the bird has morphed into a Red-throated Loon.  We have not seen the Yellow-billed Loon. 

Peter Gent,  Boulder.

[Donna Stumpp]

Wow! Can you say more about what changed your mind and/or include photos? Our bird was confirmed sometime before this morning as a YBLO.

Thanks!

Donna Stumpp

Westminster, CO

[Donna Stumpp]

So I'm being reassured our bird yesterday was 100% YBLO, meaning there's another loon out there! Hopefully someone can get some photos, sounded like it was too far from you this morning, Peter. I'll head out soon to see what I see. Will do my best to get photos of anything I see. We lucked out that the YBLO swam into shore and ended up only about 75m from us.

Donna Stumpp

Westminster, CO

[Peter Gent]

Donna,

You are making me come clean on my misidentification.  I went to the north shore this morning to try to see the Yellow-billed Loon that you clearly photographed yesterday. After 40 minutes not seeing a Loon, I bumped into Mark Miller on the way back to my car, and told him I would send to Cobirds if I saw it from the south side.  When there, I saw a Loon way out in the middle with white on the side of the neck eating a large fish, and then sleeping.  I rushed to my conclusion.  When Mark arrived after 20 minutes or so and the bird started preening, it was the small size of the bird and the bill that first alerted me that it was a Red-throated Loon.  Chatting with Mark and looking at pictures, we agreed on the identification. 

A good lesson about jumping to a conclusion too quickly when one is looking for a specific rare bird that one hopes to see.

Peter Gent,  Boulder.