[texbirds] Bell County Red-necked Grebe today, 6 Mar 14

From: "gil.eckrich" <gil.eckrich@xxxxxxx>
To: <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2014 21:55:10 -0600
Here is a VERY interesting bird found by birder extraordinaire, Randy
Pinkston, who sent me this email. Repost is with his permission.
Gil Eckrich
Belton

-----Original Message-----
From: David Pinkston [mailto:drpinkston@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2014 9:49 PM
To: Corky & Joye Johnson; Doc; Eric Carpenter; Kenny Anderson; Tim Fennell;
Sam Fason; Brush Freeman; Fred (Commissioner Pct. 3) Collins; dennis
shepler; Chuck Sexton; Rich Kostecke; Arman Moreno; Sandy Lowry; Gil
Eckrich; Jerry Caraviotis; Greg Lasley
Subject: Bell Red-necked Grebe today, 6 Mar 14

Stimulated by Rich Kostecke's positive loon report from the 1st, this
afternoon I headed for Union Grove WMA after work.  I would not be
disappointed, although I left directly from the clinic without my camera.
The Red-throated Loon was loafing with coots less than 100 yards from the
end of the lane at the lakeshore, same location (but much closer) than the
day we discovered her on Jan 18.  Today I scrutinized every detail of this
accommodating loon with scope-filling views.  The throat and foreneck are
snow-white, i.e. today I found no trace of progression to alternate plumage.

After enjoying the loon again, I started scoping the myriad coots for Horned
Grebes and possible rare ducks.  The sun was at my back.  Winds were mostly
calm.  It was just about perfect for scanning the lake.  I picked out six
Horned Grebes, most of them in that transitional plumage of early spring
when they can be confused with Eared Grebes.  I tallied the normal ducks,
including Redheads, ruddies, ring-necks, Canvasbacks, and multiple puddler
species.  Up to this point, I was scanning in an arc to my right as one
stands at the end of the lane looking due east toward the Stillhouse Hollow
dam, i.e. scanning the lake to the east and southeast.

I then decided to check the lake surface to my LEFT from the end of the
lane, i.e. scanning the lake to the north and northeast.  This was about
5:40 p.m.  After fooling around with Killdeers and a Least Sandpiper on the
shoreline, I swung my scope over the water and stumbled upon a non-coot bird
that was obviously grebe-like.  But it had its head tucked.  I could see
part of the face, but not the bill.  I immediately became very interested
because this floating bird was as big (or bigger) than a coot.  The bird was
150 yards away, give or take.  Light conditions were perfect.  It wasn't
long before it woke up and exposed its full profile.  Not only was the bird
bigger than a coot, but the bill was as long as its head, and it was
all-orange.  A large white oval patch covered the face.  The foreneck was
distinctly reddish-brown.  The body was slate-gray.  Okay, at this point I
was pinching myself.  But there it was--a Red-necked Grebe in alternate
plumage--loafing on Stillhouse Hollow Lake, in perfect light, and me without
a camera.  Admittedly, 150+ yards is borderline for my camera rig anyway.

Within a few minutes, I texted Gil Eckrich about my discovery so that he
might nab the bird for his county Big Year.  Gil resides directly across the
lake.  He also has a mega-cannon photo rig that might serve to document this
bird.  He had just returned from running, ready to shower, but he was on his
way immediately.  While waiting for Gil, I made a detailed sketch of the
grebe as it slowly swam away from me to the east.  I never lost sight of it
in that half hour.  Though still observable by the time Gil arrived, at that
point it was barely more than a different speck among coot-specks.  And the
light was fading.  But Gil will try again tomorrow and hopefully obtain some
photos.

For those interested in chasing, you want to go to the same spot where the
Red-throated Loon has been.  The only difference, at least this afternoon,
is that the grebe spent all its time to the north and northeast, i.e. to the
observer's LEFT, when scanning the lake from the terminus of Union Grove
Lane at the lakeshore.  Best of luck to anyone who makes the effort.  The
grebe is WAY out there.  A scope with 60x magnification is probably
necessary.

Randy Pinkston
Temple, Bell County



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[texbirds] Bell County Red-necked Grebe today, 6 Mar 14

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