Common Loon - Bob Walker
Report

Contributor

Date

Location

NM, Bandelier, Maintenance Lagoons (Access by Permit Only)
Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Media from this location Illustrated Checklist
Map
Map Coordinates: 35.7895363, -106.2769224
Age and sex
Unknown age, Unknown sex - 1
Behaviors
Flying

Observation details

Robin Gurule saw an unusual flyer as we arrived at this location. MB instructed RBW to snap a couple of photos of it flying, thinking it was a merganser. Submitted the photo to Merlin ID app, and it came back (hilariously) as a Common Loon. So then we started trying to decide what else it might be, and Common Loon looks great! Note the pointy wrists, legs trailing the tail and pronated together, all feature of a Common Loon flying. Bird is light below, had a straight pointed bill. We thought the reviewers would have fun with this one. While rare, they have been seen at lakes 20 miles north of us, and they have to get there somehow, probably by flying over other locations. For comparable photo, see this checklist: https://ebird.org/atlasme/checklist/S70275164. Reviewers have accepted the sighting, which makes this the first county record for the Common Loon. Congratulations Robin!

Technical information

Model
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
Lens
EF400mm f/4 DO IS II USM +1.4x III
ISO
1600
Focal length
560 mm
f-stop
f/8.0
Shutter speed
1/320 sec
Dimensions
1600 pixels x 1200 pixels
Original file size
429.03 KB