I agree with Asher and think what you saw were almost certainly Cormorants. They are both fishing birds, diving for their meals like Loons do, and they look very similar. I know they hang out in the area you identified, in a couple of tall trees on the inlet, and also in a deadfall tree nearby in the lake. Loons tend to be solitary birds, not hanging out in large groups like Cormorants do.
..Paul On Sep 25, 2017, at 11:22 AM, Asher Hockett <veery...@gmail.com<mailto:veery...@gmail.com>> wrote: Are you sure they were NOT Double-crested Cormorants? They are plentiful in that area. On Mon, Sep 25, 2017 at 10:44 AM, Fredric Kardon <fredrickar...@gmail.com<mailto:fredrickar...@gmail.com>> wrote: About 9:30 AM today while walking from Cass Park to Hog Hole, we saw what we thought were loons swimming near the red buoy/lighthouse past the jetty at the south end of Cayuga Lake. There were about 35. I wanted to report them to Ebird but was advised they are rare for this date and location, so I haven't reported them yet. The other possibility is that they were grebes. When I put in PBGR,I was told this is a high count for this date and location. Based on size and sillhouette we think they are loons. We only had binoculars with us. Any suggestions? Fred Kardon -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- asher -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --