ML605909521

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The bird's location and its timing suggest that it was southbound and a late afternoon arrival--we searched this area thoroughly by boat from 1030-1700 without seeing this individual. Found around 1812, while panning northeast of the Take Off Point boat launch. Largish heavy set white bird with dirty appearance giving a vaguely scoter vibe from its low bulkiness in the water. Big headed and heavy-billed, with a thick black eye line that was most pronounced around its eye and as it appeared to flare toward the nape. When videos are viewed frame by frame it is apparent that the black eyelines merge in the nape in a sort of collar, occasionally giving the head an almost black-capped appearance at distance. I've added screenshots from the videos as well. Pale yellow sharp bill that seemed a little hooked, narrowing it to imm. Red-billed and White-tailed. Fine black barring through the back. Wing appeared quite dark, almost looking black with white marbling at my distance, due to the black primaries and coverts and white inner flight feathers and coverts. White rump, tail. It slowly drifted ene and farther away. With distance and bright setting sun photography was increasingly difficult, with shots relegated to what appeared to be a distant marshmallow with an eye line, particularly as it increasingly positioned itself into light winds, looking straight at us. Hough arrived not long after I found it. Then Plummer. Then a birder from New Mexico who appeared not to know about it when we met him. Strand showed and decided he would try to drive around and observe it from the north side. I think Dombrowski was next, I didn’t register it was him at first. Then Mohlmann and Benesh, if not before Louie. Then another birder I had not met previously. It was getting dark and we decided we needed a boat. Jake called around without luck. So Jake, Chris, Levi, Eric and I went to the Havasu Springs bar to canvass a boat. We met a hero, I cannot remember his name, but a generous, great guy. He needed to switch out his battery, and we finally made it out in the dark, only to soon learn that the bird had already flown away while we were at the bar without reception. Caleb, Louie, and the others confirmed its identification as Red-billed once it took flight.