Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Edmonds Clark's(?) Grebe 4-25-15
Date: Apr 26 22:39:39 2015
From: Robert Russell - birdman3 at gmail.com


Hey Bill et al.:

This is a Western Grebe in normal nonbreeding plumage. A pure Clark's Grebe
will have a sharp demarcation between blackish and white above the eye, as
well as a diagnostic orange (rather than yellow) bill. As far as I can
tell, Clark's is extraordinarily rare in the sound. I have seen roughly
40,000 Westerns in the sound, but have yet to see my first Clark's.

Incidentally, I have noticed a number of people lamenting the apparent loss
of Western Grebes from Puget Sound in recent years. I remember rafts of
hundreds off Edmonds through the winter as recently as 2006-2007. I didn't
keep records, but I recall noticing that they seemed scarcer and scarcer
until just a few years ago, when I realized that they were effectively
absent in the winter. However, they are still abundant during peak
migration times; for example, I estimated 7000+ in dozens of rafts
stretching north to south as far as I could see about midway across the
sound during an Edmonds-Kingston ferry crossing at the beginning of April
this year. I have seen similar numbers at the same time in the last few
years, and this seems to jibe with the conventional wisdom that their
winter range has shifted southward and that they are now mostly a passage
migrant in our area.

Best,

Bob Russell
Mukilteo, WA

*------------------------------------------------Subject: *
Date: Sun Apr 26 2015 23:20 pm
From: billandersonbic AT yahoo.com

Saturday (4/25) afternoon a friend of mine photographed what looks
like a Clark's grebe off the Edmonds fishing pier.? Photos and
further? narrative can be found here:western grebe 4/25


| ? |

| ? | | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |

| western grebe 4/25spotted this little fella swimming around off the
fishing pier at Edmonds this afternoon... looked like he was about 50
yards out, so these are pretty heavy ... |

| |

| View on www.pnwphotos.com | Preview by Yahoo |

| |

| ? |



Bill Anderson; Edmonds, WA. USA

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