The bird didn't suddenly lose it's tail, but a steady gale force wind made hand-holding the camera to 'digiscope' a real challenge. The limited amount of pale to the left side of the bill is visible here, as are the crisply barred greater coverts. The overall size, and whiteness of this bird makes it stand out like a sore thumb. I really enjoyed being able to study this bird both days, as my experience with it is limited to a couple of times in TN (and never like this!) and a trip to Outer Banks last year where I saw and studied many.