A Loon study in different lighting and distances

Tweet I feel like a loonatic, having looked at Common Loons all day long.  I have again been searching for the reported Pacific Loon at East Fork State Park.  Pacific would be a lifer, so I really want to be sure of ID before I say that I have ticked it.

I have seen a few loons that appear different.  However, when I look at the "different" one long enough, I only come up with Common.  I wish I had more experience with winter loons.

Here are a few pictures from today that illustrate the point.  Distance can make things appear and disappear.  Lighting makes things do the same.  Size and shape changes with the light constantly, fooling the eyes.  I took the time to watch one loon to the west of the main beach in the cove for over an hour.  No other loons were in close sight.  All of these photos are of the same bird, I can assure you.

Here are the photos from when the sun was out.

Here are the ones when the sun went behind the clouds.  

Remember, all of these pictures are of the same bird in different light.  When the bird got close enough, it looked like just a Common Loon.  I could not make it into anything else.  However, I do not have enough experience separating winter loons to make a definitive conclusion as to species. 

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Pacific Loon at East Fork??

Tweet Some of the most seasoned birders in Cincinnati had found what is thought to be a Pacific Loon at East Fork Lake State Park.  It has been staying very distant, so good, quality photos can not be obtained.  Having heard it was west of the main swimming beach, I decided to use my knowledge of the lake and try to get as close to the bird as possible today (Nov. 16).  I parked at the US Army Corps of Engineers visitor center off of ST RT 222 and Slade Rd.  This put me slightly closer to the birds, but they still remained fairly far off.

When I got down to the bank of the lake, I noticed two loons out from me.  One was clearly a Common, the other looked smaller, darker and thinner billed.  However, the differences were very subtle.  The light was not good (horrible).  Here are the photos.  Most are heavily cropped.

Update:  A very reliable source ID's this as a very small female Common Loon.  I know this birder and refer to him as an expert.  It is a nice study in the variability of Common Loons.  I would speculate that a lot of COLOs are misidentified as other species fairly often when stellar photos are not obtained.  

It also should be noted that I did not see the original bird in question the day that it was seen. 

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