Sam Smith Park Grebe Update

[Brian Bailey]

I visited Sam Smith Park at dusk this evening.  These are the comments from my ebird checklist:

This is already the most successful breeding year yet for this park. Numbering the nests clockwise from the docks, Nest number one is the biggest success so far. I was there at dusk this evening, and I could see one very large chick and a very small one that I think is a new hatch. I'm guessing there are at least 3 chicks, but it would take some time and better light to get a good count.

Nest number 2 hatched a chick, but their nest is now wiped out. They were carrying the chick this evening.

Nest number 3 is another well built nest and now has at least one chick, hatched within the past week.

Nest number 4 is now fairly well built, except it appears to be mainly sticks without a lot of soft vegetation. There has been an adult, possibly incubating, the last couple of times I have visited. No sign of chicks there yet, but it was the last nest to be established.

Didn't see the fifth pair this evening.

BB

[yep]

Thanks for the update, this is great news.

[Molebird]

Visited the park on Wednesday and checked out the Grebe nests.  Noticed the second nest with a parent carrying a chick on it's back.  Kept looking for the 'spouse' but thought it was diving or had strayed for a while.  I later found it floating dead in the small bay.  It did not seem interfered with (hawks/coyotes) so I wonder if the swans killed him/her.  They may have also cleared the nest of it's nesting material.  The swans' nest is very close.

I wonder what will happen to the single parent now ?

[Brian Bailey]

That's very bad news!  I'd forgotten about the Mute Swan nest (not really visible from the west side), but they're almost certainly the culprits.

That chick's chances aren't very good now unless the grebes engage in some cooperative rearing.  The adult can't dive while carrying a chick, so it would have to leave the chick at the surface while it catches food.

BB

[Molebird]

Yes - let's keep an eye on it and hope for the best.

[Blacksheep]

We were there this afternoon for the first time, and got some photos of all of the grebes that I can upload later. But in the meantime, here's what was going on there today:

Starting with the first nest we saw walking down from the parking lot, which is the platform near the big rocks along the shoreline- there were two chicks, one quite a bit larger than the other. Both were swimming independently and ranged up to about 10 feet away from the adults. The larger of the two was also doing some diving.

Moving clockwise, we passed the swan's nest and then saw a totally empty nest platform, no sticks or anything else on it. It sounds like that was the platform the swans got to? We didn't see any grebes at all in that area, sadly.

Next was a platform with both adults and five chicks, two of which were swimming on their own for a bit but these guys were all smaller than the big one we saw at the first nest. We could also see at least two eggs still in the nest.

The last platform had a grebe on it and another swimming nearby, but no chicks were visible.

There was also a pair of grebes fishing in the middle of that area, but both were diving so I assume no chicks there.

I have to say, it was very very neat to see so many grebes all in one place!

[nana]

At noon today: nest/platform nearest parking lot - single parent and two chicks swimming, diving and chicks being fed
- nest to the S on the mud with two eggs and two adult grebes nearby
- further around the bay, the next platform was empty.
- then the wonderful platform with two adults and five chicks, all going strong
- the last nest as you head out the 'spit' had one adult sitting and one swimming nearby, bringing sticks
- on the other side of the marina exit - directly opposite near boats, the last nest had one adult sitting on it and one
grebe swimming nearby.

when I left at 1, the nest nearest the parking lot had one female mallard sitting on it, asleep. No sign of the 3 grebes anywhere.

The Mute Swans have four very young cygnets and have moved away from their nest on the little island near the grebe nest that is on the mud. Geese are
now sitting in the swan nest.

Many Tree Swallow babies being fed in the dead tree beside the walking path

and finally, a very plump Muscovy Duck has been working the shore for a few days now.