Hi all,
I am on the phone with Josh Rose as I type this, and he reports a THICK-BILLED MURRE from Fort Macon State Park. The bird was found by professor Stuart Pimm of Duke at about 9:00 AM today (3/11/2003). The bird is extremely tame, remaining about 20 feet offshore and diving frequently in front of the observors. It is in a patch of shallow water protected by the rocky jetty at the park, in the broad area where a raft of about 20 RAZORBILLS were reported yesterday. (Razorbills still being reported from the same location.)
The bird appears to be molting into breeding/alternate plumage - while it appears all-black from a distance, closer observation reveals scruffy plumage details around the neck and head. The bird is very blackish overall (not brownish like Common Murre), and it has a noticeably thicker bill as well. The white stripe on the upper mandible is clearly visible.
I myself do not have further details, but the ID seems quite solid - I'm assuming Josh will post a followup when he returns to Durham.
-Sandy -- Sandy Cash Durham, NC scash@mindspring.com