Long story short, we did not find the gull. There were hundreds of gulls to sift through but none that looked like a white winged gull. However it was a beautiful evening and I was amazed we were the only ones out enjoying it.
As a consolation we had a Cooper's Hawk on a tree off the side of Pages Creek.
Cooper's Hawk - not the best photo but the boat was still moving.
Then today before work I went down to Johnny Mercer's pier to see if I could score the Pacific Loon that Derb had or the Common Eider Sherry had over the weekend. The pier proved uneventful so I headed to the South End or Masonboro Inlet.
Sanderling
Red-breasted Merganser male
I was sifting through all the loons of which there was many and some quite close in.
Common Loon
Then I saw one that was smaller but definitely not a Red-throated Loon.
It had a dark back with a well defined line delineating the white and black of the neck. It's bill was held horizontally, and as you probably know Red-throated Loons typically hold their bill at an upward angle. In this particular photo he was fluffing his feathers which is why you can see the white on flanks.
In this photo you can see the bird in center left of the frame is smaller and more elegant than the chunky looking Common Loons. The Common Loons have more of a white cheek patch as well and their heads are not as smooth and rounded. Its hard to see in the pictures, but the back of his head was a dark gray compared to the black of his forehead and back.
I am convinced this bird was a Pacific Loon and I am calling it that. I would be interested if anyone disagrees, although I know these pictures are not great.
Hopefully he will be around again later this week. I would like to get my kayak out so I can get closer pictures and in better light.
No comments:
Post a Comment