Yellow-billed Loon | Sitka Nature https://www.sitkanature.org On a Lifelong Journey to Learn my Place Tue, 22 Feb 2022 07:59:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://i0.wp.com/www.sitkanature.org/photojournal/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/cropped-raven_trees_watermark_8.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Yellow-billed Loon | Sitka Nature https://www.sitkanature.org 32 32 20990835 Yellow-billed Loon https://www.sitkanature.org/photojournal/2008/12/07/yellow-billed-loon/ https://www.sitkanature.org/photojournal/2008/12/07/yellow-billed-loon/#comments Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:51:57 +0000 http://www.sitkanature.org/?p=3020 I was on O’Connell Bridge looking down into the channel when I noticed a large loon-looking bird that seemed much paler than I would have expected. It seemed to be favoring a spot near ANB Harbor, so I decided to go down and give it a shot. When I arrived down at the end of ... Read more

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I was on O’Connell Bridge looking down into the channel when I noticed a large loon-looking bird that seemed much paler than I would have expected. It seemed to be favoring a spot near ANB Harbor, so I decided to go down and give it a shot. When I arrived down at the end of the dock, I saw that it was out in the middle of the channel. After waiting a few minutes, I was very grateful that the loon came up near where I was standing and let me take some photos. Probably best considered Rare in Winter in the Sitka area, this was the first Yellow-billed Loon I have seen.

Although Yellow-billed Loons are paler than Common Loons, this individual seems especially pale. This, in combination with strong patterning on the back suggests that it may be a juvenile, though I’m not positive about that.

For comparison, here is a Common Loon taken a few minutes earlier with similar lighting.

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