Hi Tweeters,

Have you noticed Red-necked Grebes starting to show up at your site? They
are starting to sneak out of Boundary Bay...

I took advantage of the nice weather yesterday to check out the grebe
situation in Boundary Bay. Numbers of Red-necked Grebes and Western Grebe
have fallen off a bit but there is still a good supply of them. Some RNGR
are looking very wintery, approaching basic plumage, but some are still
fairly bright and summery. Horned Grebe numbers are increasing - all basic
plumage birds.

My counts were -
Crescent Beach:
RNGR - 828
WEGR - 33
HOGR - 45

1001 Steps (Surrey):
RNGR - 37
WEGR - 1198
HOGR - 70

Lily Pt (Pt Roberts):
RNGR - 453
HOGR - 131
WEGR - 389

The WEGR at 1001 Steps were being very vocal. Also heard a fair amount of
chatter out of the HOGR and a few RNGR calls. Horned Grebes have resumed
their tactic of following around foraging scoters and diving with them.
This appears to be a commensal foraging relationship where the grebes catch
prey that has been stired up by the bottom-foraging scoters. I've also
seen a few RNGR and WEGR do this. I would be interesting in hearing from
anyone else who has witnessed this behavoir.

Also hundreds of Common Loons (in various plumages), some Pacifics, a
couple of Red-throats. Red-brested Mergansers are arriving. There were a
few Pigeon Guillemots at Lily Point and the usual supply of scoters
everywhere. A few Bonaparte's Gulls were cruising around the bay.
Harlequin Ducks are looking especially snazy with their fresh alternate
plumage. No rare birds, but I enjoyed watching these "common" ones!
Someday maybe I'll get a Clark's out there.

Have fun and please let me know if you see any big groups of grebes
anywhere else!

Bonnie Stout
SFU, Burnaby, BC (bestout at sfu.ca)













Bonnie Stout
Department of Biological Sciences
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada
ph:(604)-294-9355
bestout at sfu.ca