Outdoor Ontario

Birding Reports => Toronto Reports => Topic started by: birdstitcher on July 13, 2011, 06:12:33 PM

Title: Speaking of grebes...
Post by: birdstitcher on July 13, 2011, 06:12:33 PM

I went for a walk today along the path from the white bridge over the Humber to Humber Bay East. I was walking over the dock of the passive storm water management area, when I saw two grebes. They look like red-necked grebes. They appear to be building a nest. I watched for approx 10 minutes as one would dive and come back up with sticks, then return to the same spot to place them. There is a large log more or less in the centre of the southernmost cell of the area. The nest is attached to that. Easy to spot. Perhaps somebody, more knowledgeable than I, can confirm that they are indeed nest building.

Kerri

PS Mama duck has been sitting on her 8 eggs on my terrace for 17 days now. She just flew away to go get some dinner.

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Post by: JW Mills on July 13, 2011, 08:36:09 PM

Yes, a pair of Red-necked Grebes are indeed building a nest just where you say.
I was there at 7:30pm and there was one egg visible. Both Grebes were bringing sticks and placing them on the nest. Some work still needs to be done as the nest won't support the weight of the female.

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Post by: birdstitcher on July 14, 2011, 09:43:57 AM

Awesome! There did not appear to be any egg when I was there at 1pm. Will have to walk that way more often!

Kerri

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Post by: JW Mills on July 14, 2011, 08:14:39 PM

Bad news. :(
I was there today at 5pm. The Grebes are still there but the nest is gone.
Apparently this was their second nesting attempt. The first nest contained two eggs and was on a bullrush islet just south-east of the log. Canada Geese chased them off.

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Post by: Brian Bailey on July 17, 2011, 09:39:58 PM

I was hoping to check out that nest site this weekend but it didn't happen.  It's exciting to hear they actually got to the point of having eggs.  Humber Bay or Humber Marshes (can't recall which) was one of the sites the TRCA placed rafts 3 years ago in the first year of grebe rafts.  I don't think they continued after that first year, but it sounds like they should!

BB