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Western grebe at Falls Lake



I dropped by to check out the western grebe this lunchtime @ 1pm- 
2.15pm: it was still there in the same area as previously reported, 
between Rolling View and Sanderling. It was accompanied by 5 horned 
grebes, nice for size and color comparison: this is a BIG grebe! It 
was close enough that even with heat haze (even at 50F) I could make 
out its bill color, but not so close that I could see the color of 
the patch in front of the eye. Also present were 2 ring-necked ducks, 
a flotilla of coots, Bonaparte's and ring-billed gulls and a common 
loon. At the swimming beach (where I checked first) were killdeer, 2 
DC cormorants, 6 horned grebes, a pied-billed grebe, several GB 
herons, some very small ducks way off in the distance (teal?) and 
many many coots or dark ducks.

 From Joshua Rose's report, I'm glad I picked the grebe over the 
pelican: luck rarely breaks my way in these 50:50 decisions!

Best bird of the fall so far. Thanks to Ricky Davis, Julia Shields 
and Marsha Stephens for their keen eyes and timely initial reports.

-- 
Steve Perry

Receptor Biology Lab, Duke Uni Med Center, Durham, NC

stevep@receptor-biol.duke.edu