Alerted by a phone call from Charles Ziegenfus, who took his James Madison
University ornithology class to Lake Shenandoah this morning, Tom Pendleton and
I checked the water birds there at 1:15 this afternoon, with the following
results:
Common Loon 2 (in full alternate plumage)
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Horned Grebe 6 (in varying stages of molt changeover to alternate plumage)
EARED GREBE 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Canada Goose 2
Mallard 1
Ring-necked Duck 6 (3 m., 3 f.)
Lesser Scaup 6
LONG-TAILED DUCK 8 (4 m., 4 f.)
Bufflehead 4 (2 m., 2 f.)
Ruddy Duck 2 f.
American Coot 6
Hooded Merganser 1 f.
Tree Swallow 20+
An exceptionally good day at Lake Shenandoah! In Clair Mellinger's Birds of
Rockingham County, Virginia (1998) only two records for Eared Grebe are
listed, one at Lake Shenandoah, 27 April 1981, and another on a pond near
Tenth
Legion, 25 October 1984. This bird, which had a thin upturned bill that
generally appeared entirely dark, was hanging out with 5 Horned Grebes, each
of
whose stouter bills sported a white tip. The orangish "ear plumes" were fully
developed but the bird still had the white spot on the lower back side of the
face. It also appeared to be a trifle smaller and more slender than the
Horned Grebes. It spent a good bit of time snoozing with its bill tucked in
its
back feathers, and as it did, its white breast and belly were evident.
Ziegenfus, who found the 1981 bird, had identified this one during the morning.
The Long-tailed Ducks, with the exception of one female, were all still in
basic plumage. They could be heard yodeling on occasion. They are uncommon
here, but not as rare as the Eared Grebe.
John Irvine
Harrisonburg, VA
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