All, Anhingas in flight tend to flap a few times, then glide. Flap-flap-glide, flap-flap-glide... and their long tails are distinctive vs. cormorants. These would be the two primary field marks for flyover Anhinga. Breast pattern varies depending on plumage and light, and is a good character, but more subtle.
Peter Peter Burke 300 Forest Ave. Boulder, CO 80304 (973) 214-0140 Flickr <https://www.flickr.com/gp/pgburke/0scHt9> LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-burke-a627885> On Mon, Jun 4, 2018 at 2:50 PM, Brandon <flammow...@gmail.com> wrote: > The Colorado Birds Records Committee also accepted a documented > sighting of an Anhinga, from Barr Lake State Park, Adams County, May > 3, 2003. If anyone happens to see one in Colorado again, get a good > photo, and let us all know. > > Thanks, > > Brandon K. Percival > Pueblo West, CO > > > On 6/4/18, Joe Roller <jroll...@gmail.com> wrote: > > On May 28 Delta County birder Sandy Beranich saw a possible ANHINGA > > (*Anhinga > > anhinga*) at Sweitzer Lake, near Delta, Delta County and reported it to > > eBird. > > > > > > Sandy has been searching the area and will look again with a park ranger, > > also a birder. Campground hosts also saw the individual in question. Here > > is the original eBird note and all subsequent information from Sandy, > whom > > I know from hotspot discussions. > > > > > > Original post to eBIrd: > > > > > > Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) (1) > > - Reported May 29, 2018 08:33 by Sandy Beranich > > - Sweitzer Lake, Delta, Colorado > > - Map: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=p&z=13&q=38.712734,- > > 108.032265&ll=38.712734,-108.032265 > > - Checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46138997 > > - Comments: "I could only see the underside of the bird, which included a > > striking very light tan to yellow-colored neck and upper breast; the rest > > of the bird was black. It was soaring and circling over me and I could > not > > see its bill or back. I didn't note the tail length.The campground hosts > > had told me earlier that they had seen this bird and that it was one they > > had seen in Florida. Although skeptical, I compared the bird I saw to a > > Double-crested Cormorant and believe the flight pattern of soaring and > real > > light tan-yellow neck and upper breast was a confirmation for the > anhinga. > > Note that in 2016, there was a Neotropic Cormorant in nearby Montrose all > > summer, so I do expect unusual sightings." > > > > > > Joe, > > Before entering on eBird, I did go online and looked at images for both > of > > these birds and then asked google to side-by-side compare the DC > cormorant > > w Anhinga- the big thing seemed to be the way the anhinga soared, the > tail > > length, and the bill shape- last two which i did not see- i use a 10x > > binocular and the bird was circling quite high with the sun full on it. I > > will go back soon- the ranger who knew birds wasn't there today. The > campgr > > hosts were from Tx and knew this bird and said they knew it wasn't > supposed > > to be here- (nor was that neotropic cormorant supposed to be in montrose > 2 > > yrs ago!) The convincing part was the way it circled overhead, just kind > of > > floating. I just reviewed images again and note that what also struck me > > was a clear color change betw the light breast and dark rest of bird. > > > > > > Sandy's note to me from June 4: > > > > A little status on the Anhinga. I returned to Sweitzer Lake on May 30 > and > > drove the west and part of the south side of the lake where there are > two > > jetties. The park ranger thought it might be hanging out there. I stayed > in > > place at several locations. I did not record findings on eBird and saw > the > > usual expected birds similar to what I had found on the north and east > > sides. I didn’t see cormorants or the anhinga. Today, June 3, I returned > > to talk with the camp host to get more information (the host was not > > present on the 30th) and to walk the dirt road on the north and east > sides > > again. She said that a state park person was out to do a bird survey on > > Friday, May 25 and thought she had seen an Anhinga. The camp host who > is a > > birder said that on May 27 (Sunday) she had seen a group of 4 Anhinga’s > fly > > over, and then I was first there on May 29 and saw one Anhinga. The > state > > person thought that the one she saw was just a fly over. Each of us saw > the > > bird(s) flying in the same direction to the northwest. The camp host said > > she was positive that she was not looking at a cormorant and was very > > familiar with both birds. I thought the way the breast color had a > distinct > > margin and the way it flew made it an Anhinga. The state park person is > to > > return and do another bird survey and I will be notified and hope to meet > > up with her. I will chase this some more and let you know if something > > changes. > > > > Sandy > > > > > > So in summary we have multiple observers seeing a bird they thought to be > > an Anhinga. The descriptions are plausible for Anhinga, but I am a little > > thrown off by the report of FOUR birds by the campground hosts. > > > > BUT who knows? Birds fly.* > > > > Keep your gas tank full, and prepare an excuse for permission to be gone > > all day if this pans out. > > > > > > There is one previous specimen of Anhinga from Aurora, Coal Creek, > > Arapahoe County on 9/24/1931. Denver Museum of Nature and Science. > > > > > > That's the only Colorado record so far. Another specimen collected from > > 1927 is an Australian Darter (*Anhinga melanogaster*), an escapee from > > someone's darter collection. > > > > Bob and Bob, p 14; also Bailey and Neidrach, p 92 > > > > > > Joe Roller, Denver > > > > > > * The Lark Bunting, Sept, 2016 > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "Colorado Birds" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > > To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. > > To view this discussion on the web visit > > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAJpZcUC- > jgy5mBJX1KDji-3Y39zB03z%3Dd_W4qt9QusBuY6EGfg%40mail.gmail.com. > > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > > > -- > Brandon Percival > Pueblo West, CO > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/ > msgid/cobirds/CA%2BXeEuVDhvDv6FKSGdqok2OUO7MWTL > 6HnPFvGBUPD%3DTohryAhQ%40mail.gmail.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. 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