On my way home from a MRVAC warbler field trip to Hok-si-la and Frontenac in Goodhue County, I stopped at the 180th Street marsh in Dakota Co. Just as I was done birding for the afternoon (it was after 6 pm), and finished with my quick stop at 180th Street where I got great looks at a Sora and Marsh Wren, (I did not see any sign of a Least Bittern that had been reported earlier.) I happened to look at the back lake on the north side and saw a few ducks. So, since it was a good distance away, I grabbed my scope and found a few Buffleheads, Ruddy Ducks, Lesser Scaup, Pied-billed Grebes and an Eared Grebe. The trouble with studying an Eared Grebe when it is feeding is that it is on the surface for ten seconds and underwater for several minutes. When I found it again, I clearly could see the red neck, so it was obviously the more expected, although still not common, Horned Grebe. I was now certain that I had seen the back of its neck before, so I had be misled in concluding the ID. Searching for it, I also found an unmistakable Red-necked Grebe. Friends who stopped by on their way home soon found the Horned Grebe. We determined that there was at least two of them, by the way they changed location. But, neither of us could relocate the Red-necked Grebe. They took off as I moved closer to continue my study. When I moved I immediately refound the Red-necked Grebe, which lazily swam around and then tucked its head under and went to sleep. And, the little Horned Grebe kept popping up next to its behemoth cousin and vanishing before giving me a satisfactory look at its red neck. Finally it popped up and turned about so I could clearly see that the front of its neck was black. Re-evaluating my ID, I now found that I had good looks at four different species of grebes: Pied-billed, Red-necked, Horned, and Eared! Steve Weston On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN [email protected]
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