Posted by Paul Bithorn on January 05, 2003 at 11:23:44:
Bruce Purdy and I made the trek up to the Marina Isles Fish Camp on Lake Jessup (DeLorme p.80) in search of the Harris Sparrow. Arriving around 9:00 a.m. we ran into Wes Biggs and friends as they was leaving the site after having seen the sparrow. We checked in at the General Store and met a very pleasant proprietor. We soon met up with John and Chadda Shelly and friends and within a half hour the bird popped up (Florida 394) allowing us excellent scope views.
Ripe with success we headed to New Port Richey to look for the Pacific Loon. On the way, we entered a residential area in Hernando Beach and driving with the windows down, heard a flock of Budgerigars. We soon located a flock of a dozen Budgies, a lifer for Bruce, in a Black Olive Tree (Bucida buceras)and continued south in search of the loon.
Around 2:00 p.m., we arrived at Robert K. Rees Memorial Park (DeLorme 82), which is located at the end of Green Key Road on New Port Richey. Follow Green Key Rd. west from US-19 in NPR.Pay close attention. It's real easy to miss the street sign on 19.
Upon our arrival,we had the distinct pleasure of meeting Doug Wassmer and Lilian Saul, who had been looking for the loon since early morning. Like Tom Rodriguez, we saw Hooded and Red-breasted (one green-headed male) Mergansers, Horned Grebes and Common Loons.
We had excellent lighting conditions and the elevated height from the viewing platform at the end of the boardwalk gave us optimum peripheral views of the Gulf.
After much scoping, we located a pair of loons at long range and I am certain that there was a noticeable size difference in body and bill length and that the smaller loon had a blacker back. Doug mentioned that the head appeared rounder on the smaller bird. At one time we had the the larger loon well back of the suspect and its size still appeared much larger. As hard as we tried, we could never see the definitive necklace of the suspect.
Because of the great distance and small degree of uncertainty due to the wicked powers of persuasion that sometimes befalls us birders, this bird will go down as a BVD (Better View Desired) species on my quest for the Holy Grail (400 Plorida species).
I had a similar experience with a Pacific Loon several years ago, when Dick Cunningham found one on the Dade County CBC off of Virginia Key. I went the next day and found a loon in a raft of Great Black-backed Gulls. It appeared much smaller then the gulls, but excercisng an "overabundance of caution," I succumbed to the "better part of valor" in the hopes of some day casting the "shadows of doubt" to the wind.
Life is good...........knowing that a Pacific Loon is still possible on the Tropical Audubon Society panhandle trip January 17th through the 20th.