Vermont Rare Bird Reports 2021

John D. Peckham
johndpeckham@gmail

Overcast, clear and CALM. Water in the Lake was virtually still. Perfect conditions for viewing.

Zeiss Terra ED 8x42
Nikon Pro-staff 3S 10X42
Nikon Monarch Scope 20X60 82 MM

Extremely familiar with this species. I grew up and still live on the coast of Rhode Island. Northern Gannets are a regularly-occurring species offshore at my house. All ages seen by me in this location.

Cliff overlooking Lake Champlain. Clear view in all directions. Bird first seen sitting on the Lake next to an Adult Common Loon. Size difference very noticeable.

At 7:00 AM the bird was sitting on the Lake “preening”. It kept this up for approximately 30 minutes before flying off to the Southeast. It’s flight was a combination of flaps and glides. At 7:44 AM, the bird made a “sudden dive” into the Lake and came up with a medium-sized fish. It ate the fish and then flew back to the NNW past us and over towards Essex, New York. We didn’t see it again until 10:56 AM when it leisurely flew South past us and down the Lake. The bird was no more than 200 feet in front of us and the light conditions were such that the bird’s field marks and coloration were easily discernible.

None

Bird first SEEN sitting in the Lake at approximately 7:00 AM. It was in the company of an Adult Common Loon which looked very small compared to it. The bird was actively “preening” which allowed us to see it’s coloration, shape, size, bill, tail, and wing structure. The bird turned on its side several times revealing it’s pale white underbelly and tail construction. It also raised its wings several times before working on individual feathers. In profile you could see the long dagger-like bill and the long wedge-shaped pointed tail. While on the water the bird kept the tail slightly “raised”. The Adult Common Loon swam past it a few times which demonstrated just how large the Northern Gannet was. These two birds were the only birds in the area. There were gulls flying around over them, but no other birds in the water. At approximately 7:41 AM the bird took off heading in a Southeasterly direction. The flight was a combination of flaps and glides. At 7:44 AM, the bird suddenly “dove” straight down into the Lake and caught a fish. It ate the fish and then “picked” up off the water and headed NNW up the Lake. We followed the bird as it flew NNW until it disappeared from view. That was around 7:50 AM. We didn’t see it again until 10:56 AM when it came back South very leisurely and flew past us. Again, the flight was a combination of flaps and glides. The bird headed SSE and kept going. As it turned the corner we lost sight of it. It passed by us no more than 200 feet in front of us. This gave us a chance to review all of the field marks that we had determined it had while sitting on the water. The lighting on the bird at 10:56 AM was very helpful in trying to assess its age.

Very large SEABIRD: Long-billed, long-winged, slender build, with a long wedge-shaped, pointed tail. Unmistakeable.

The crown and head were basically gray-brown. The eye you really couldn’t see. The throat was dark and the nape matched the color of the head.

The bill was long and dagger-like. It was two-tone - a mixture of light (pale) and dark. The feet were tucked in and not identifiable as to size, shape, and color.

The upper back was more brown than gray. Fairly uniform throughout.

The lower back and rump were the same as the upper back except for the “White” band or patch across the upper tail coverts

The wings were long, brown, and tapered to a point. They were brown on top and had small “Black” patches underneath.

The upper breast had a hint of a pale area. The rest was a mix of gray and brown. The belly was “pale white” for the most part. This was clearly seen when the bird turned sideways to “preen” on the water. The under tail coverts appeared dark.

The tail was long, wedge-shaped, and came to a point. The bird “raised” its tail while sitting on the water.

Brown Booby - eliminated first by SIZE. Also, Brown Boobies have brown upper-tail coverts. Young Northern Gannets have a “narrow white band” or patch crossing their upper-tail coverts, which this bird definitely had.

It appeared to me that this bird was either a “juvenile” or a bird that was just beginning to leave “juvenile” plumage. Sex not determined.