Loon, Cormorant, or Other? (1 Viewer)

gthang

Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....

• Jun 1, 2004

• #1

So I went to a small (actually large) lake that is nearby in Carmel, NY, and during the winter, I saw some black and white waterfowl swimming around near the man-made earthen bridge that crosses a cove. This past week, I went there again to try and see if the black-and-white birds were still there (I had not seen them since I left college). They didn't seem to be there. But knowing that I don't like to leave empty handed, I scanned the water in the distance, and noticed what I thought was a sunken log with the pointed end sticking out of the water. I snapped a picture, just to see if it was a log, and it turns out the the bird below was really the "log"!

It reminds me of a Great Northern Diver, but couple pics show a more sloping forehead, reminiscent of cormorants. and the "bill" looks too thin for a GN diver, but that could be the light deflection...

Anyone care to take a gamble on this?

 

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Charles Harper

Régisseur

• Jun 1, 2004

• #2

Yipes! I agree that the bill is too fine and the forehead too steep for a loon, but hard to call, gthang. I think a deciding factor may be that by this time, loons should be inland, breeding, not on the coast.

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Jun 1, 2004

• #3

Its definitely a Cormorant spp

 

J

Jess2002

Well-known member

• Jun 1, 2004

• #4

if it was in Britain I would have said a shag (havent got a clue what you get in America!)

 

gthang

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• Jun 1, 2004

• #5

I'm pretty far inland, about 30 miles (at least to Carmel NY)

 

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gthang

Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....

• Jun 1, 2004

• #6

I also noticed a slight orange glow near the bill...

And where's that tail?

 

Jane Turner

Well-known member

• Jun 1, 2004

• #7

Its almost certainly DC cormorant, though you''ll not get a certain ID with those pics

 

gthang

Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....

• Jun 1, 2004

• #8

If it is a cormorant, wouldn't the tail be sticking up while swimming?

 

S

streatham

Well-known member

• Jun 1, 2004

• #9

i would say double crested g-thang - although rarer in the north in the winter it's the cormorant more likely inland in NY plus the finer bill would appear to say DC not greater cormorant. charles makes a good point about loons they should be coastal by january.

 

gthang

Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....

• Jun 1, 2004

• #10

My sibley guide doesn't have pictures of the cormorant species in swiming poses... how's that gonna help? Glad I had my british bird guide, it shows swimming pose of Cormorant, no tail pointing up... D'oh!

However, neck looks a little thick for a cormie...????

 

S

streatham

Well-known member

• Jun 1, 2004

• #11

jane beat me to it - and no their tails wouldn't be sticking up when there swimming.

 

J

Jess2002

Well-known member

• Jun 1, 2004

• #12

After looking at a photo of the DC cormorant i'd agree, does look very similar to our shag though so wasnt far off!

 

gthang

Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....

• Jun 1, 2004

• #13

This is a picture of a DC Cormorant I found in the Gallery.

I'm not sure, but the cormorant sinks far too much into the water (the reason why cormorants bask in the first place. in my pictures you can see the body of the bird is well above the water.

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/16399/sort/1/cat/all/page/1

Compare to Common Loon photo by Screech:
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/4153/sort/1/cat/all/page/1

We're probably gonna be up all night. Might as well start drinking... B

 

Last edited: Jun 1, 2004

Steve G

RAINBIRDER

• Jun 1, 2004

• #14

Cormorant species I think. Only loon that habitually hold its head at that angle is Red-Throated but the body shape is wrong for this. I'd go for DC Cormorant.

 

J

Jess2002

Well-known member

• Jun 1, 2004

• #15

I tried to enhance the photo on my comp, and this is what i came up with, not great but u can begin to see the orangey tinge to the base of the bill and the angle, which to me would suggest dc cormorant as divers (loons) dont generally carry that posture.

 

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J

Jess2002

Well-known member

• Jun 1, 2004

• #16

damn beat me to it!

 

G

graham.v

Falco Peregrinus enthusiast.

• Jun 1, 2004

• #17

gthang said:

So I went to a small (actually large) lake that is nearby in Carmel, NY, and during the winter, I saw some black and white waterfowl swimming around near the man-made earthen bridge that crosses a cove. This past week, I went there again to try and see if the black-and-white birds were still there (I had not seen them since I left college). They didn't seem to be there. But knowing that I don't like to leave empty handed, I scanned the water in the distance, and noticed what I thought was a sunken log with the pointed end sticking out of the water. I snapped a picture, just to see if it was a log, and it turns out the the bird below was really the "log"!

It reminds me of a Great Northern Diver, but couple pics show a more sloping forehead, reminiscent of cormorants. and the "bill" looks too thin for a GN diver, but that could be the light deflection...

Anyone care to take a gamble on this?

Click to expand...

Definitely a Cormorant. The whole carriage of the bird says Cormorant.
Enough said.

 

gthang

Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....

• Jun 1, 2004

• #18

And I thought I got it right, to me the body posture reminded me of a loon, since my most used guide shows swimming loon drawings, but no swimming cormorant drawings... figures...

It was about a football (American Football, not soccer) field away, so I'm surprised I even saw it. Too bad my camera has a POS digital zoom that really chops up my shots. Since it's now a habit of mine (when I used to use the camera at the kitchen window), I find it difficult to keep my fingers from turning it on. I'm trying though!

Thanks everyone, for the help. Too bad it's not a loon. I'm just surprised the cormorant was this far inland. I've always seen them either on the Hudson, or on the ocean. but never seen one 30 miles inland... We only get one species of cormorant where I live: The DC Cormorant.

 

Last edited: Jun 1, 2004

crispycreme

Well-known member

• Jun 1, 2004

• #19

I'm just surprised the cormorant was this far inland. I've always seen them either on the Hudson, or on the ocean. but never seen one 30 miles inland...

Click to expand...

Cormorants are quite content in fresh water. We live hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, and we've got cormorants aplenty (DC and Neotropic here).

 

gthang

Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....

• Jun 1, 2004

• #20

Just thought of this.

I read in one of my books that cormorants may form large flocks, whereas loons are often solitary. My bird was the only bird swimming for miles...