Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID
Chris Wood's eBird post from his first sighting contains notes that describe the field marks distinguishing the grebe from a Clark's Grebe: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S9554251 Anne Marie Johnson On 2/4/2012 9:08 PM, david nicosia wrote: I got a comment on my flickr account saying that the western grebe photos I posted look more like a clark's grebe. This forced me to do a little research on this as I have never been out west to have to learn to distinguish between these two similar species. The white lore would suggest a clark'sgrebe in non-breeding plumage but I have read in several field guides and on-line that western grebes in non-breeding can show this too. The bill on the bird I saw today was definitively olive-yellow and I had good lighting. Is this the main field mark that is making this a Western Grebe to everyone? Has anyone considered this could be a clark's grebe? Just curious to what other's thought process was on this. Thanks. Dave Nicosia -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! --
[cayugabirds-l] NYCC Snowy Owl
NY Chiropractic Snowy Owl was on the bleachers 8:15 this AM. Far West side of the college campus behind (West of) the tennis courts and the maintenance bldg.. It's a mowed field with soccer goals and a couple of sets of bleachers strewn about. -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] CayugaRBA EARED GREBE far west
CayugaRBA EARED GREBE far west of Wells College boathouse, Aurora -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] CayugaRBA SNOW OWL @ NYCC
CayugaRBA SNOW OWL @ NYCC moved west to farm, hard to see past hedgerow, -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Snowy at chiropractic
Located approx 100 yards west of bleacher past hedgerow on the ground in middle of field at 1:55pm -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] OT: video clip of twirling hummingbird
The first 45 seconds (0:08-0:45) of this slo-mo clip, borrowed from a TED lecture on pollinators, brilliantly captures hummingbird (spp.) behaviors that are too difficult to see first hand http://www.youtube.com/v/xHkq1edcbk4?version=3. Watch how both predator-prey (0:35-0:45) spin in circles, all while flying right-side up, up-side down, or side ways. Is the predator mimicking the prey's movements or are these normal hunting tactics for hummers? (Is there an alternative explanation?) G.B.! Candace Cornell -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] CayugaRBA SNOW OWL @ NYCC
After Dave Kennedy's elaboration of Suzanne Broderick's directions to the Snowy Owl at the NY Chiropractic College, Susan Danskin saw it and explained how she and I and several other competent birders didn't look carefully enough yesterday. I swung by for a look about noon and learned from birders at the site that the bird had flown west past the hedgerow onto the ground in an adjacent farm field where a poor view through the trees was possible (but difficult) if one knew where to look. It seemed not to be visible from East Bayard St either. However, the bird clearly likes that bleacher. There's quite a bit of whitewash on it. It's been seen several times there by birders, and also by a security guard who came to investigate us and had seen but not recognized the bird several days earlier. I think if people stay out of that soggy athletic field and stay by the maintenance building and adjacent places where one is allowed to have a car, the bird is likely to return to that bleacher.--Dave NutterOn Feb 05, 2012, at 12:17 PM, 6072292...@vtext.com wrote: CayugaRBA SNOW OWL @ NYCC moved west to farm, hard to see past hedgerow, -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! --
[cayugabirds-l] Western Grebe - No (Hog Hole) Sunday PM
For what it's worth, Bernie Carr and I spent several hours at the south end of Cayuga Lake on Sunday afternoon and could not find the Western Grebe. We looked from what we took to be Hog Hole and could see two Red-throated Loons close together, and a Common Loon several hundred yards away. The RT Loons were distant and we looked at them carefully but still thought they were both Red-throated Loons. Over at East Shore Park we could see the same two birds and thought they were both RT Loons from that position, plus a total of three Common Loons. We didn't go up Rte 89 and were out of time and did not go north of East Shore Park. We also dipped on the White-winged Crossbills at Summerhill, finding only Pine Siskins plus a single Goldfinch at the Hovel Chalet. Dave Wheeler N Syracuse, NY -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Tying Up Loose Ends
I had just finished up a recording session along Hoag Avenue this morning (100 Pine Siskins - no crossbills) when I got Dave's call about the Eared Grebe at Aurora. I headed over to the boathouse, met up with Susan Danskin, and spent a good hour scanning back and forth among scattered groups of grebes. A light breeze had picked up, ruffling the water and bouncing the distant dots around a bit. We eventually confirmed ten of the dots as Horned Grebes (the same number reported earlier by Dave) and focused on the eleventh, most distant of all. After awhile the breeze subsided and the water smoothed out. We had been scanning from the parking lot, thinking that a bit of elevation would help with the shimmer. Susan suggested that we get closer to the bird by walking out on the dock. So, instead of 7,000 ft, we narrowed the distance to 6,900! But that was all it took. The shape we had been looking at was now clearly an Eared Grebe: darker overall than Horned Grebe, higher, fluffier bustle, much less white on the neck and face, thin bill, and the head had a definite crown above the eye. Bob McGuire -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Sodus Point Bay
John I were at Sodus Point about 4 p.m. Sat.. Had the same birds as reported by Mark. Ice in the bay had receded greatly but edges were covered with geese, gulls ?? Too far away to see well in the fading light. Did see the RT Loons along the nearer ice from the little parking area at the boat launch as you go down the hill into Sodus Point, as well as 8 or 10 RB Mergansers, maybe 20 or 30 Coots, many WW Scoters as well as the pair of G. Scaup. The Goldeneye were along the breakwall along with close to 100 Long-tailed Ducks a delightful sight! We stopped at Geneva just after noon light was wrong to ID anything much other than Canadas, gulls mallards but we did see 2 Mute Swans with their orange bills the knob at the base. A Bald Eagle was on the Mud Lock nest. Hundreds of swans were north of Cayuga. Screechie was in the box on Factory St. pond. It amazes me at how many village people don't know about the owl. In re-reading my records, my 1st recording of seeing the owl was in 1996!!! We're pleased to report that the Auburn NYSEG crew has put new osprey platforms on poles along Rte. 90 north of Union Springs also on Backus Rd., the 1st road heading towards the lake north of the village. I'm enjoying the discussions pictures of the foreign grebe off Hog Hole. Fritzie Mark Miller wrote: Sat. afternoon at Sodus Point pier had lots of Long-tailed Ducks WW Scoters, a few Horned Grebes, and a couple (Red-throated?) Loons. Only a few RB Mergansers. Also a couple Am Goldeneye Greater Scaup. Great picture opportunities, will need to review my pics to see if I missed anything unusual. -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID
Here is the link to the photos I took of the Western Grebe...they are all digi-scoped images. http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/sets/72157629174516367/ Dave Nicosia From: Meena Haribal m...@cornell.edu To: david nicosia daven1...@yahoo.com Sent: Sunday, February 5, 2012 7:21 AM Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID Dave, After seeing your pics, you seem to have been much closer than I am, the bill looks yellowish and pointed. Plus average more grayish white flanks on the back too. I would also tend to call it Clark's Grebe. And I think you are the only one who got such detailed pictures. Here is Chris's link. Where you dont see much detail at all. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinicola/6673387385/in/photostream/ So it would be interesting see what people would call it after your pics. You dont seem to have given link to your pics. Meena Meena Haribal Ithaca NY 14850 http://haribal.org/ http://meenaharibal.blogspot.com/ From: bounce-39530942-3493...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-39530942-3493...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of david nicosia [daven1...@yahoo.com] Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2012 9:08 PM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID I got a comment on my flickr account saying that the western grebe photos I posted look more like a clark's grebe. This forced me to do a little research on this as I have never been out west to have to learn to distinguish between these two similar species. The white lore would suggest a clark's grebe in non-breeding plumage but I have read in several field guides and on-line that western grebes in non-breeding can show this too. The bill on the bird I saw today was definitively olive-yellow and I had good lighting. Is this the main field mark that is making this a Western Grebe to everyone? Has anyone considered this could be a clark's grebe? Just curious to what other's thought process was on this. Thanks. Dave Nicosia -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] cedar waxwings
On a walk along Mt. Pleasant Rd. early this morning, I encountered a flock of 100+ CEDAR WAXWINGS. From a distance, I saw about 10 slightly larger birds among, but these turned out to be STARLINGS. Couldn't see what they were feeding on; they all flew west eventually. Steve Fast Brooktondale -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID
Hi Dave, Nice shots. I'm sending a link to the ones I took on Fri., the 3rd, which show the view of the hind neck. I struggled with the separation of Western / Clark's because I don't have experience with either bird. I didn't doubt the great birders that found and ID'd this guy as Western, but took the opportunity to refine my eye. The field guides like Sibley's / Crossley's etc. leave some ambiguity with these guys. What I wondered about was light lores and the lighter shading of the flanks with a plain demarkation which seems to fall more in line with the Clark's illustrations. The light lores can show in both I gather and the bill is definitely more to the olive-yellow end than bright yellow at least in the light that I had, which wasn't bad. The hind neck black stripe is broad as you can see in my photo and the illustrations of Clark's narrower stripe would seem to be distinctive enough to catch my eye. I didn't get any shots of a spread wing. What ultimately makes me confident is that I heard this guy vocalizing several times. Listening to Lang's recording of both species I have no doubt I was hearing a Western Grebe. Clarks Grebe has more of a clear whistle quality than the vibrato that reached my ear. This is a great bird and learning experience. I was excited to finally get look after several trips into the wind and waves. Happy birding, Gary https://picasaweb.google.com/103826758925032410864/WesternGrebe?authuser=0authkey=Gv1sRgCObEttC66ZHZjAEfeat=directlink On Feb 5, 2012, at 9:13 AM, david nicosia wrote: Here is the link to the photos I took of the Western Grebe...they are all digi-scoped images. http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/sets/72157629174516367/ Dave Nicosia From: Meena Haribal m...@cornell.edumailto:m...@cornell.edu To: david nicosia daven1...@yahoo.commailto:daven1...@yahoo.com Sent: Sunday, February 5, 2012 7:21 AM Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID Dave, After seeing your pics, you seem to have been much closer than I am, the bill looks yellowish and pointed. Plus average more grayish white flanks on the back too. I would also tend to call it Clark's Grebe. And I think you are the only one who got such detailed pictures. Here is Chris's link. Where you dont see much detail at all. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinicola/6673387385/in/photostream/ So it would be interesting see what people would call it after your pics. You dont seem to have given link to your pics. Meena Meena Haribal Ithaca NY 14850 http://haribal.org/ http://meenaharibal.blogspot.com/ From: bounce-39530942-3493...@list.cornell.edumailto:bounce-39530942-3493...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-39530942-3493...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of david nicosia [daven1...@yahoo.com] Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2012 9:08 PM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID I got a comment on my flickr account saying that the western grebe photos I posted look more like a clark's grebe. This forced me to do a little research on this as I have never been out west to have to learn to distinguish between these two similar species. The white lore would suggest a clark's grebe in non-breeding plumage but I have read in several field guides and on-line that western grebes in non-breeding can show this too. The bill on the bird I saw today was definitively olive-yellow and I had good lighting. Is this the main field mark that is making this a Western Grebe to everyone? Has anyone considered this could be a clark's grebe? Just curious to what other's thought process was on this. Thanks. Dave Nicosia -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basicshttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME Rules and Informationhttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES Subscribe, Configuration and Leavehttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm Archives: The Mail Archivehttp://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html Surfbirdshttp://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds BirdingOnThe.Nethttp://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBirdhttp://ebird.org/content/ebird/! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basicshttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME Rules and Informationhttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES Subscribe, Configuration and Leavehttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm Archives: The Mail Archivehttp://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html Surfbirdshttp://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds BirdingOnThe.Nethttp://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBirdhttp://ebird.org/content/ebird/! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES
RE: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID
Great shots, guys! Wow, you sure saw it better than I did. It's an interesting question about species ID. I don't have enough experience with the species pair to be overly confident, but I'd have to come down on the side of Western here, or perhaps a hybrid. The face appears paler than a typical winter Western Grebe, but the eye is not close to showing out of the dark the way a Clark's should. The flanks are pale, but they do not ever appear as having white in them the way Clark's do. The bill is olive-yellow, not clear yellow, and there is an obvious dark bottom edge that is typical of Western. Gary's shot of the back of the neck is pretty convincingly wide and dark. Great bird. Let's keep the photos coming. Kevin From: bounce-39533224-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-39533224-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Gary Kohlenberg Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2012 11:18 AM To: david nicosia Cc: Meena Haribal; CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID Hi Dave, Nice shots. I'm sending a link to the ones I took on Fri., the 3rd, which show the view of the hind neck. I struggled with the separation of Western / Clark's because I don't have experience with either bird. I didn't doubt the great birders that found and ID'd this guy as Western, but took the opportunity to refine my eye. The field guides like Sibley's / Crossley's etc. leave some ambiguity with these guys. What I wondered about was light lores and the lighter shading of the flanks with a plain demarkation which seems to fall more in line with the Clark's illustrations. The light lores can show in both I gather and the bill is definitely more to the olive-yellow end than bright yellow at least in the light that I had, which wasn't bad. The hind neck black stripe is broad as you can see in my photo and the illustrations of Clark's narrower stripe would seem to be distinctive enough to catch my eye. I didn't get any shots of a spread wing. What ultimately makes me confident is that I heard this guy vocalizing several times. Listening to Lang's recording of both species I have no doubt I was hearing a Western Grebe. Clarks Grebe has more of a clear whistle quality than the vibrato that reached my ear. This is a great bird and learning experience. I was excited to finally get look after several trips into the wind and waves. Happy birding, Gary https://picasaweb.google.com/103826758925032410864/WesternGrebe?authuser=0authkey=Gv1sRgCObEttC66ZHZjAEfeat=directlink On Feb 5, 2012, at 9:13 AM, david nicosia wrote: Here is the link to the photos I took of the Western Grebe...they are all digi-scoped images. http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenicosia/sets/72157629174516367/ Dave Nicosia From: Meena Haribal m...@cornell.edumailto:m...@cornell.edu To: david nicosia daven1...@yahoo.commailto:daven1...@yahoo.com Sent: Sunday, February 5, 2012 7:21 AM Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID Dave, After seeing your pics, you seem to have been much closer than I am, the bill looks yellowish and pointed. Plus average more grayish white flanks on the back too. I would also tend to call it Clark's Grebe. And I think you are the only one who got such detailed pictures. Here is Chris's link. Where you dont see much detail at all. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinicola/6673387385/in/photostream/ So it would be interesting see what people would call it after your pics. You dont seem to have given link to your pics. Meena Meena Haribal Ithaca NY 14850 http://haribal.org/ http://meenaharibal.blogspot.com/ From: bounce-39530942-3493...@list.cornell.edumailto:bounce-39530942-3493...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-39530942-3493...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of david nicosia [daven1...@yahoo.com] Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2012 9:08 PM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID I got a comment on my flickr account saying that the western grebe photos I posted look more like a clark's grebe. This forced me to do a little research on this as I have never been out west to have to learn to distinguish between these two similar species. The white lore would suggest a clark's grebe in non-breeding plumage but I have read in several field guides and on-line that western grebes in non-breeding can show this too. The bill on the bird I saw today was definitively olive-yellow and I had good lighting. Is this the main field mark that is making this a Western Grebe to everyone? Has anyone considered this could be a clark's grebe? Just curious to what other's thought process was on this. Thanks. Dave Nicosia -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basicshttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME Rules and Informationhttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES Subscribe, Configuration and
RE: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID
Hi all, I have been fortunate enough to have some experience comparing Western and Clark's Grebes side by side, both in the breeding season and winter. Relevant to this thread, my experience is that: - At a distance or first glance the most obvious difference between the species is that Clark's Grebes appear not just subtly lighter in shade along their sides, but are blatantly lighter to the extent that even a quick scan of a mixed-species group can pick out pick out Clark's Grebes typically as being essentially white in appearance along their flanks. - To me the second most obvious feature distinguishing the two species is bill colour. Again, my impression is that the distinction between the species is not subtle as long as one is not colour blind. Specifically, I found that Clark's Grebes have a clearly warm (reddish-orange) colour cast, whereas Western Grebes' bills have a cool green colour cast. So, to my eye, the difference in bill colour is greater than is illustrated for example in the Sibley guide, and in direct comparisons between the species I have found that this difference pops out quickly in reasonable lighting conditions. - For wintering grebes, my impression is that the amount of white on the side of the face is a far less clear differentiator of the two species than the above two characteristics. In side-by-side comparisons of the two species, I could see consistent differences. However, in order to find a pair of nearby birds to compare, I would have used flank shade and bill colour to pick out the pair, and then spend time looking carefully at the faces. All in all, I think that Dave's nice photos show all of the characteristics of a Western Grebe, without any clear suggestions of Clark's. All of the above just echoes what Chris wrote in his eBird checklist, to which Anne Marie pointed people. I figured that it would be useful to chime in as to which of the characteristics Chris mentioned are the ones that a lesser mortal would most immediately notice as differentiating the two species in winter. Wesley Hochachka From: bounce-39533270-3494...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-39533270-3494...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Kevin J. McGowan Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2012 11:49 AM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID Great shots, guys! Wow, you sure saw it better than I did. It's an interesting question about species ID. I don't have enough experience with the species pair to be overly confident, but I'd have to come down on the side of Western here, or perhaps a hybrid. The face appears paler than a typical winter Western Grebe, but the eye is not close to showing out of the dark the way a Clark's should. The flanks are pale, but they do not ever appear as having white in them the way Clark's do. The bill is olive-yellow, not clear yellow, and there is an obvious dark bottom edge that is typical of Western. Gary's shot of the back of the neck is pretty convincingly wide and dark. Great bird. Let's keep the photos coming. Kevin From: bounce-39533224-3493...@list.cornell.edumailto:bounce-39533224-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-39533224-3493...@list.cornell.edu]mailto:[mailto:bounce-39533224-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Gary Kohlenberg Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2012 11:18 AM To: david nicosia Cc: Meena Haribal; CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Question on the Western Grebe ID Hi Dave, Nice shots. I'm sending a link to the ones I took on Fri., the 3rd, which show the view of the hind neck. I struggled with the separation of Western / Clark's because I don't have experience with either bird. I didn't doubt the great birders that found and ID'd this guy as Western, but took the opportunity to refine my eye. The field guides like Sibley's / Crossley's etc. leave some ambiguity with these guys. What I wondered about was light lores and the lighter shading of the flanks with a plain demarkation which seems to fall more in line with the Clark's illustrations. The light lores can show in both I gather and the bill is definitely more to the olive-yellow end than bright yellow at least in the light that I had, which wasn't bad. The hind neck black stripe is broad as you can see in my photo and the illustrations of Clark's narrower stripe would seem to be distinctive enough to catch my eye. I didn't get any shots of a spread wing. What ultimately makes me confident is that I heard this guy vocalizing several times. Listening to Lang's recording of both species I have no doubt I was hearing a Western Grebe. Clarks Grebe has more of a clear whistle quality than the vibrato that reached my ear. This is a great bird and learning experience. I was excited to finally get look after several trips into the wind and waves. Happy birding, Gary
[cayugabirds-l] west side Cayuga Lake Sunday
I had a great afternoon trip up the west side of Cayuga Lake today with Rick Bonney and Judy Burrill. We started at Hogs Hole at 12:45, and as others reported were not able to locate the Western Grebe. We did see the 2 RED-THROATED LOONS together -- an adult and a juvenile, solving a two bird theory mystery from the Christmas Bird Count. Judy spotted the male WOOD DUCK walking on the gravel beach right below Rt. 89. Next stop was Poplar Beach, where a HORNED GREBE was very close in (with a Common Loon), and 4 LONG-TAILED DUCKS out in the middle of the lake, near an ISLAND of several thousand SNOW GEESE. The light was spectacular and I could make out quite a lot of details on the geese through the scope. I counted about 10 Blue Geese and another dark goose turned out to be a Canada-type, but was smaller than the surrounding Snows - most likely a CACKLING GOOSE. (a separate raft of large Canada Geese was nearby). While we were there, an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL flew by close to shore, heading north to it's regular hangout at Dean's Cove. Along Lower Shore Rd. to Cayuga Lake State Park, spent a lot of time looking for Eurasian Wigeon (not successful). Did find 4 close and very obvious CACKLING GEESE in the large Canada flock, pretty good numbers of AMERICAN WIGEON and GADWALL, with 5 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 2 pairs of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, and an impressive count of 640 COMMON MERGANSER. (No Redhead or other aythea seen on the lake today). We then headed up to the Chiropractic College to look for the SNOWY OWL. Our first scans of the soccer field and adjacent areas came up empty, as did an attempt to scan the fields to the west from Bayard Rd. Then as we came back through the campus, there was the OWL perched on a treetop at the west edge of the soccer field. After allowing great scope views and a few digiscopes, the owl flew directly towards us and then banked higher and flew by to the north, looking back over it's shoulder at us. It seemed to keep going, fairly high over the campus, and looked like it was heading all the way to the lakeshore. On the way home we stopped along Wycoff Rd. in Ovid and got a clear but distant look at a single SHORT-EARED OWL to the west of Rock River Rd. at about 5:15 PM. A good afternoon, indeed. KEN Ken Rosenberg Conservation Science Program Cornell Lab of Ornithology 607-254-2412 607-342-4594 (cell) k...@cornell.edu -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Yesterday and today bird chasings
After watching the Grebe yesterday, I too headed to Summerhill in the afternoon. On Salt road, mostly I saw flocks of chickadees with Tufted Titmouse, and several White and Red-breasted nuthatches were seen. Nothing else except for the large truck with the backhoe was backing up on Dresser road made so much of noise that it was hard to hear any birds. Via Hovel Chalet and Fillmore Glen birth place I drove back to Lick street. A Kestrel was seen half way between Hoag and Fillmore road. As I came to the intersection of Lick and Hoag, I slowed down and scanned the trees. Nothing seemed to be around and then shortly from the tree that did not have anything, a bird took off calling loudly and right behind it a few more took off, of course they were White-winged Crossbills. Once I saw some, I saw more. Another group of some twenty plus joined. So they were there . In the flock I saw one I think young male, he had beautiful yellowish head with lots of red on the back. He was sat on the top of the spruce and sang. He was stunningly beautiful. I spent some fifteen to twenty minutes. Several minutes in between it seemed like there was no one. I guess all of them were busy feeding. On the way back to Ithaca, I saw another Kestrel, two Red-tailed hawks, one Northern Harrier and a few Eastern Bluebirds between Lick and Ed Hill Road. Today morning, I too made an early morning trip to Snow Owl at NYCC. First, I stopped at the South Field and looked at the benches, they were empty. Then I stopped at building with sign D from the parking lot, I saw a blue bleacher that looked like there was big white plastic bag stuck. I was still in the car and watching from inside. As I was watching the plastic bag rose slowly and I could a pair of eyes watching my car. I am sure it was aware of my presence. The bird was 500 feet away from me. After a couple of seconds again, ducked down such that it could not see me. The second set of bench was in line with birds eyes, blocking it from seeing me. I still sat in the car, then again it peaked at me for few seconds and hid behind again. So I felt the bird probably was disturbed by someone in the car so it was wary of the cars. So I did not get out to scope it. I went to parking lot on the other side of the building and sat near dumpster and watched it. It did the same thing, peak out of its hiding place and then hunker down. After sometime it lost interest in my car. The body was very dark and face disc was white, so think may be it was a first year female. From there, I went further north and turned on east side of the lake, Lake seemed pretty much empty, except for Canada Geese. Most of the left over Tundra Swans were heading towards MNWR. I did not stop at the Aurora as I had to be back home for some errands, so I missed the Eared Grebe, but I did see Dave Nutter! Meena Meena Haribal Ithaca NY 14850 http://haribal.org/ http://meenaharibal.blogspot.com/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
