red-throated loon and white-winged scoters still at Hyrum Reservoir, Ross's geese?

["L. D. Giddings" <seldom74 at xmission dot com>]

The red-throated loon was observed for roughly 20-30 minutes late this
afternoon at Hyrum reservoir, around 4 p.m. It was seen on the far side
of the lake and about 6-800 yards north of the dam. Dennis Shirley also
saw it this morning in the same area.

The white-winged scoters were a little harder to find. After parking at
the top of the day-use area - it is behind a locked gate at the top of a
steep hill and about a mile north of the state park and the boat ramp -
I walked down into the day-use area and then about 100 yards north along
the beach. I stopped behind some low trees and watched a pair of
white-winged scoters swimming several hundred yards from the beach.
These appear to be juvenile birds; at first I thought that one of them
was a surf scoter until it moved its wings and the tell-tale white
patches became conspicuously visible. This was at about 4:45 p.m.

With all due respect to Stephen, I'd like to comment on the small white
geese at Hyrum. I first saw them during the afternoon of October 30th
and also thought they were either dark phase snow or Ross's geese. They
were all the way across the lake and details were a little difficult to
make out. This afternoon they were swimming in the same area as the
white-winged scoters, and I was able to get a much better look at them.
I agree that they have some of the physical attributes and coloration of
blue-phase Ross's geese. But: (1.) according to National Geographic's
field guide, blue-phase Ross's geese are said to be extremely rare in
this part of the country, and (2.) the birds have bright orange bills
and legs. I suppose they could be oddly marked feral barnyard birds, but
I'm very unsure. Could they be Ross's geese, or perhaps hybrids? If you
go to Hyrum looking for the loon & scoters, please watch for these birds
and let me know what you think. Thanks for reporting them, Stephen. I
assumed they had already left.

Lu Giddings

p.s. - Dennis Shirley said the black scoter and the white-winged scoters
were still hanging around the causeway early this morning. He said the
male white-winged scoter was the best looking example of the species
that he's seen in the state.




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