On a family birding trip up to the lake today I made a stop at Sims Park and after seeing the normal red-breasted mergansers and goldeneyes we spotted a bird that looked different. I watched it through my binoculars (but couldn't manage to find it in the scope because it kept diving) and I am pretty sure it was a RED-THROATED LOON. It was pretty far out and kept going out farther and farther so I never got a really good look at its plumage but I could tell it had the white/dark patterns on the head and neck regions that matched most closely to the pictures in the Sibley field guide. It did swim near a pair of red-breasted mergansers and it was slightly but not a lot larger than they were. The head and bill shape ruled out common loon in my mind and that leaves me to think it was a red- throated loon. Unfortunately it was too far out to get a picture although we did have a camera. Did anyone else see it? I am 90% sure that was what it was but if anyone else has any other possible IDs I would be glad to consider them. The last I saw of the loon it had gone so far out I couldn't see it anymore so I can't tell anyone a positive place to look for it but it was at Sim's park for anyone who would want to try to relocate it. good birding, Ryan Steiner ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]