loons or murres? Monterey Bay, California in December (1 Viewer)

[heather_]

Hi,
I saw these two birds in Monterey Bay, California in the month of December. I think they are Pacific loons, but there were mostly common murres (immature or non-breeding) that were around the area that look similar. So I wanted to double check what these were. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Heather

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The first is a Common Murre and the second is a Pacific Loon. Something to note on the Murre is the white rear edge to the wing, which is shown well in your picture. In the field, these birds are very different sizes but that can be hard to judge in isolation.

 

[heather_]

Awesome! Thank you for the help and the tip!