March 25th at Sam Smith Park

[Brian Bailey]

I went out this afternoon to look for the (apparently imaginary) Eared Grebe at Colonel Sam Smith Park.  There were plenty of Horned Grebes.  My conservative estimate is 13.  There were 8 just in front of the filtration plant.  There were also hundreds of Red-necked Grebes.  They were everywhere around the park from near shore to as far as the eye could see (which was quite far in today's conditions).

The best sighting was 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers in bushes along the shore.  Also seen:  3 Double Crested Cormorants (FOY for me), and 5 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 5 Tree Swallows, 5 Killdeer.

I saw a grackle carrying nest material already too.

BB

[jackbreakfast]

BB I was there too and saw those birds and also 2 brown creepers, a few carolina wrens, and more juncos than I've ever seen in the same place at the same time...those birds were near "the bowl" and much to my surprise, the shrike was still hanging around the park...I saw that fine fellow a few times...eared grebes are often counterfeit in these parts, I've learned...