Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Red-throated Loon
Scientific name:	Gavia stella
Date:	Nov 3, 2017
Time:	8:30 AM
Length of time observed:	2 minutes at close range, then a couple other brief views at well over a hundred yards
Number:	1
Age:	1st winter
Sex:
Location:	Scofield Reservoir
County:	Carbon
Latilong:
Elevation:
Distance to bird:	Originally about 30 yards.
Optical equipment:	Swarsovski 10 x 42 binos and Nikon Field Scope
Weather:	Clear and windy
Light Conditions:	good
Description: Size of bird:
(Description:) Basic Shape:	like a loon
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	dark with white streaking on back, grayish on head and hind neck with white streaks. Whitish with gray streaks on throat and chest
(Description:) Bill Type:
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	I parked the truck to look at some other birds and this bird swam out from somewhere near the shore. It started swimming out further into the lake. I first looked at it through my binos then through my scope on a window mount. It overall blackish on the back with white scalloping across back. The head and back of the neck were a bit lighter gray and streaked white. It was whiter in the throat and chest and showed quite a bit of fine gray streaking in the neck and chest. The cheek area below the eye was noticeably lighter and not as streaked, but not nearly as white as a winter adult RT Loon. As it swam away it held its head slightly back, making the bill tilt upwards. At this point a strange looking duck flew in and landed nearby. It ended up being a surf scoter. While I was looking at the scoter the loon must have dove. It took me a while to locate it again and when I did it was over 100 yards away. I got a couple of brief views of it but unfortunately was unable to obtain a photograph
Song or call & method of delivery:	n/a
Behavior:	swimming and diving
Habitat:	deep water reservoir
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Other loon species do not have finely streaked heads and necks in any age or plumage. Also the other loons would also have either a nearly solid dark back, or show more of a barred pattern where this bird was more scalloped/spotted. Lacked any sort of a wedge seen on the neck of a Common Loon and also did not have a clean dark/light neck of a Pacific Loon but was finely streaked. The bill was also much thinner than a common loon. Other than loons it could could possibly be confused with some of the larger grebe species, but shape and color was different.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	Seen a few times here in utah, and numerous times in other locations (Alaska, Japan, California, etc)
References consulted:	Sibly Guide to Birds
Description from:	From memory
Observer:	Bryan Shirley
Observer's address:
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	As far as I know no other birders saw this bird. I went up a few days later and was unable to find it.
Date prepared:	Dec 18, 2017
Additional material: