Date: 04/24/1999

Number: 1

Hey There JN and Loon Watchers,
On Saturday, April 24 a winter plumage Yellow-billed Loon was sighted on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park.... the latitude and longitude are not exactly correct above. According to Dan Casey, one of Montana's best bird Identifiers', "the bird appeared to be an adult in a very worn/faded winter plumage. The aging was based on the very straight upper mandible and clear culmen for about the distal 2/3. The entire distal half of both mandibles was distinct yellow. The small auricular spot was quite evident, though more like the immature than the adult in Kaufman's illustration in his "Advanced Birding" chapter on winter loons. Certainly nowhere near as large or dark (the spot) as illustrated in the National Geographic guide. Overall, the bird is very pale brown and pale-headed, long-billed and thick-necked. The back showed stripes, not heavily scalloped." The sighing took place just west of West Glacier in the area of the Apgar Visitor's Cent

Polson, MT

Latitude: 47.7 Longitude: -114.3

Observed by: Lynn
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