Bit of a challenge - Lake Erie coast, Michigan, USA (1 Viewer)

[Antarctic213]

Hi, everyone. These are two stills of a bird I noticed in a video I was taking off of a pier on the Lake Erie coast in SE Michigan. Apologies for the low quality--I believe that most of the white near the bill and on the wing edging is actually from the waves going by. Is it possible to ID? Thanks in advance!

 

[qwerty5]

Common Loon I believe

 

[nartreb]

Common loon looks good. I don't think it's a cormorant - head shape, lack of yellow gular patch.

 

[Butty]

Welcome to BF.
I don't think it's safely identifiable from these.
Could you post the video? - and give the date, please, as this should be given with every ID request, and in this case different possible species may be in different plumages depending on time of year. Thanks.

 

[Antarctic213]

Welcome to BF.
I don't think it's safely identifiable from these.
Could you post the video? - and give the date, please, as this should be given with every ID request, and in this case different possible species may be in different plumages depending on time of year. Thanks.

Unfortunately I don't think the video would be helpful, these frames are the only halfway-intelligible ones from a few seconds long video wherein the camera is bobbing from the wind and I gave up haha. (Was this weekend.) Was also thinking likely Common Loon but so ambiguous, was wondering if others were getting the same impression. I agree too hard to be definitive from these alone. Thanks!

 

[Butty]

I don't think the video would be helpful, these frames are the only halfway-intelligible ones from a few seconds long video

I would guess the video to be substantially more helpful than these two frames.