ML645788390

Ажиглалтын дэлгэрэнгүй

Photos TBA. Huge thanks to Ron Smith getting this to me. I was headed out to check the scene when David posted to FB. BOOM! Nothing but a HEEG in that shot! Bird looks to be rounding into it's 2nd-cycle. Sports retained secondaries and coverts, along with most of the retrices, and I think most primaries as well. Overall body plumage, much of the wing, and at least one rectrix were clearly advanced from 1st-cycle plumage. This bird was fearless, and combining that fact along with the plumage state and knowing the East coast HEEG has been AWOL, I have little doubt there is a chance it is in fact the same bird moving around, possibly back towards the West. I would have originally expected that bird to reach the East coast by traveling coastally as the species is typically coastal in nature, I believe. I guess it would have had to cut across somewhere to get to the Gulf, though. It's the same idea as GBBG and many sea ducks. I have talked with Mike about this in the past, where it seems more likely than many round the South part of the state and then move North towards us.