Possible ARCTIC LOON - Pottawattamie County

[John Bissell]

Birders,

I received some photos from Mark Land of an apparent ARCTIC LOON which is being seen this morning at Lake Manawa. At the very least its a PACIFIC LOON, but photos show extensive white on the sides. The place the bird was being viewed is from the boat ramp on the south side looking northeast.toward the lake houses. Viewing from the east side of the lake may be closer, but not sure.

Good luck, and please provide updates if the bird is relocated. Its still there as of about 30 minutes ago.

Good birding,

John Bissell

Grimes

[Clem Klaphake]

After getting just a glimpse of the Loon on the east side of Lake Manawa with the Kansas people who found it, the bird flew off to the west part of the lake.   I relocated the bird again on the southwest side of the lake from Boy Scout Island.  While looking at it Elliott Bedows joined me and we were both inclined to call this bird a Pacific Loon.   It does show some white on the side, but it appears to be in moult and the white from its underside is showing more.   A good part of the time I was watching it, it was preening itself and a lot of the white underside was showing.  The head and beak appeared smaller/finer than what the field guides describe for an Arctic Loon.   It is hard to find someone experienced with Arctic Loons - most people I talked to get their info. from field guides, as I did.

Lake Manawa is one of those lakes that has no speed limit for boats and with nice weather on a weekend what waterbirds were there were being spooked quite often.   So if anyone is looking for the Loon, it could be anywhere on the lake because of the boat disturbance.
Clem Klaphake
Bellevue, NE

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[uphawkeye]

The loon has been relocated and is currently being viewed by multiple birders (5:44PM as I am writing this). It is currently on the west side of the lake.

Eric Ollie
Ames

[Eric Ollie]

Around 6:00 or so, an (I will be charitable and say) ignorant speed-boater spooked the bird and sent it flying entirely across the lake. I tracked it in my binoculars for a long way until it seemed to disappear into (and I am thinking over) the trees across the lake. We have not been able to relocate it, so there is a distinct possibility that it may have vacated the area. I think that it is definitely worth checking Manawa again tomorrow morning though, and certainly other bodies of water in the area (MidAmerican ponds?).

Eric Ollie
Ames

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[Danny Akers]

Based on the photographs provided and the subsequent discussion on the ABA Rare Bird Alert facebook group, it appears this bird has been identified as a RED-THROATED LOON.

Danny Akers

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Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2015 18:33:39 -0500
Subject: Re: [ia-bird] Possible ARCTIC LOON - Pottawattamie County
From: upha...@gmail.com
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