ML646378886

Observation details

Until recently, I thought winter-time Common Loons (subadults and non-breeding plumage adults) all had some degree of white around the eye. I am sure this loon today is the same one I saw on Monday, and on both days, I watched it from two locations of varying distance and light quality. At no time did I see any white around the eye, so wondered if it was something else. Today, we (Susan, Kaplan and I) got closest to it at Twin Oaks across from C Ramp and I got these photos. Once posted, folks with more experience than me concluded it was a Common, so the "white around the eye" characteristic is more flexible than I thought. I included a photo of this bird from Monday to show how different the colors appear under different light.