Yesterday one medium size Eared Grebe raft (about 200) came and fed right in the front of me at Texas City Dike. Inside this raft using grebes as beaters about dozen Bonaparteâs Gulls had feast as well - mostly shrimps. A few Red-breasted Mergansers were part of the raft and a few Common Goldeneyes swam nearby. This was not a day to take photos (showers, etc) but it was fun to watch all these guys feeding together; never ha that many grebes and Bonaparteâs Gulls foraging so close to me. And Bonaparteâs put a real show demonstrating how they can grab a prey in many ways. Just a few snapshots: _http://www.pbase.com/mbb/bonapartes_gull__eared_grebe_raft___fee ding__january_12_2012_ (http://www.pbase.com/mbb/bonapartes_gull__eared_grebe_raft___feeding__january_12_2012) And one Eared Grebe showing breeding plumes (this time of the year?) _http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/148317604_ (http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/148317604) Another bird drawing my attention was what looked like a Common Loon to me (bill, neck, etc) but showing extensive white along flanks all the time. I had no other loon close enough to compare sizes. I have never seen Arctic Loon; but perhaps those familiar with loons want to take a look just in case. I looked up some photos on the web but those only confused me more - there is no guarantee that IDs were correct of some of them anyway. Again I believe this is a Common Loon but in this case a field mark, extensive white flanks, can be quite misleading especially when watching loon like that from far away - fortunately this one came quite close. _http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/148317624_ (http://www.pbase.com/mbb/image/148317624) BTW there were quite few Common Loons in the bay and canals along the Skyline drive (and without white flanks exposed). Mark B Bartosik Houston, Texas _http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field_ (http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field) Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner