December 23rd, 2005. South Quabbin, MA.
| Common Loon Gavia immer.
| This
bird had a severely deformed lower mandible protruding spike-like, and
curving upwards. The bill also looked quite pale at distance giving the
bird a rather bizarre field appearance, superficially showing some
resemblance to Yellow-billed Loon. The aberrant bill was more obvious
on the right hand side of the bird’s head than the left. From the left
at certain angles, the bill looked much closer to a typical Common
Loon, and the spike-like lower mandible can only just be seen in the
images. This bird appeared to be quite healthy, and was apparently
quite capable of preening normally.
Other birds of note in the area included a Red-necked Grebe and an Eastern Meadowlark, both noteworthy species for late December.
| | Taken using Canon Powershot A-95 through Swarovski telescope. |
|
