Col. Sam 11/27 NO Western Grebe; YES Horned, Red-necked

[stuartimmonen]

I birded Colonel Sam Smith this morning in the drizzle; didn't find the Ontbirds-reported Western Grebe.

I did find at least 5 basic-plumaged Horned Grebes and at least 7 Red-necked Grebes, though. In addition:

Two Common Loons, one adult in the marina and one juvie off the western headlands.

One male Redhead, one male Pintail.

All three Merganser sp.; lots of female Commons (at least 50)

Big mixed raft of Scaup sp. (60-70 birds)

8 American Coots.

Good luck and good birding!

stuart

[stuartimmonen]

Just got a text from Steve Garrett at 12:30PM -- still no sign of the Western.

stuart

[Brian Bailey]

I tried late this afternoon and also failed to find the Western Grebe.

I only had one loon, no Pintail or Horned Grebes, but I did find a female Ruddy Duck in the harbour area and a total of 17 American Coots, and an American Widgeon.  13 of the Coots were in a very tight flock actively feeding at the end of 23rd Street (just west of the filtration plant).

BB

[stuartimmonen]

It appears Mike Nelson from my old stomping grounds re-found the bird around the same time as on Saturday.

In addition, I looked more carefully at a photo of my sleeping "Scaup" flock and there were more redheads and at least one Ring-necked Duck in that group.

Might try again for the Western tomorrow.

stuart

[Brian Bailey]

I tried and failed again to see the Western Grebe at Sam Smith Park.  When they've shown up in the past, they're sometimes seen irregularly for a week or more, so I figured it was worth a try.

The tight flock of coots was in the same spot as last weekend, but I only counted 11 today.  I had two Ruddy ducks near the harbour mouth.  I took them for females, but in retrospect, I think one or both may have been first year males.  They had the eyeline, but there was a noticeable rusty tinge, particularly around the breast.

I found two Horned Grebes, but surprisingly no Red-necked Grebes.  There were lost of scaup, but few close to the park.  There were several hundred well to the west, close to shore, and a smaller flock to the east, near Rotary Park.  There were flocks of scaup flying back and forth every few minutes.

The male Pintail was off the east side, close to Rotary Park.

A mixed flock of goldfinches, Tree Sparrows and Juncos had at least one Chipping Sparrow.

If a Snowy visits the docks there this winter, and if someone is tempted to venture out on the docks for a better shot, it will be much more difficult this year.   The docks have been detached from shore and moved a bit further out.

BB

[Fireweed]

I keep seeing flocks of scaup around Long Branch park (near Sam Smith).  Have you seen Lesser scaup mixed in?  It's driving me nuts trying to tell the difference between the lesser and greater scaups!).  
I have seen redheads in the flock and sometimes common goldeneye and buffleheads hanging out, too.

Thanks.

[stuartimmonen]

Fireweed, here's a simple way to differentiate the extremes of  two species (males, anyway): http://www.utahbirds.org/featarts/Scaup.htm

Here's a more comprehensive analysis, without pictures: http://birding.about.com/od/identifying ... cation.htm

Greaters are larger, whiter, with larger, rounder heads and larger, wider bills. Generally.


Both were present this morning at CSSP.

Also, American Coot, four (possibly five) Red-necked Grebes, two (the same two?) Horned Grebes, great streams of various waterfowl in the air at dawn.

stuart

[Fireweed]

Thanks for those sites.  I will keep watching.