Grebes

With this very cold weather, the river has jammed up and little open water is available. There is one small open spot on the Snye near where I work. A few Canvasbacks have been hanging in there, and today (Tuesday) after work I noticed a Horned Grebe. An uncommon sight for winter around here! There was one between Christmas and New Year's at Fawn Island, so maybe it is the same one that has stuck around. (This is where some of the Gadwall were this past weekend as well. A couple were still there yesterday).

Sometimes Red-necked Grebes will show up in early February as very early spring migrants. Back in early February 2003, several showed up around here and southern Ontario as early migrants. Some got caught with a quick freeze-up later on.

Red-necked Grebes are quite uncommon in my area, and that was the first time I had seen them in winter.

Last year there was one at Rondeau in mid February, and I saw two at Sarnia near the end of the month.

Pied-billed Grebes will sometimes stick around here in milder winters. There are always some around Christmas time on our CBC's. The last one I saw this winter was early January near Sarnia on the St. Clair River while I was counting waterfowl.

I have never seen an Eared Grebe around Wallaceburg. The closest ones have been at Sarnia or Rondeau, and in the late fall.

Then there are Western Grebes. I have only seen two. The last was one I discovered at Pinery PP on November 18, 2006.