FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Clark's Grebe at Fort Story and First Landing State Park

[Phoebetria@xxxxxxx]

Yesterday morning (31 December), Tom Gwynn and Don Schwab found and 
photographed (digiscoped) a completely typical Clark's Grebe at First Landing 
State Park in Virginia Beach, in the early morning.  They contacted other 
birders at Fort Story, to the east (the bird was drifting to the east), who 
relocated the bird at 1035 from the Harbormaster Headquarters (MP station).   
At 1430, the bird swam slowly past the Memorial Overlook, allowing 
conventional photographs at 100 meters.  At 1540, the bird was again seen 
from the Harbormaster Headquarters.  In all some 10 other birders saw this 
individual, including Mike Iwanik, David Hughes, Bob Ake, Bill Williams, Todd 
Day (his #346!), Vicky (oops!  I've misplaced the last name!), George 
Armistead, Matt Sharp, Don Snipes, and myself.  This bird is surely the same 
individual that was seen in the two previous winters in this immediate 
vicinity, and it may be that the routine (moving along about 10 km of 
shoreline through the day) will allow the bird to be refound in coming days.  
The bird is handsome, with a bright orangy-yellow bill and very white face, 
the eye being surrounded entirely by white.  Photographs will make this the 
first confirmed/documented record of this species for the East Coast and 
first away from a handful in the Midwest!

Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA 
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