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Subject:

Horned Grebes

From:

Gerald & Laura Tarbell

Reply-To:

Gerald & Laura Tarbell

Date:

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:49:37 -0500

This has been an unusual day around here.
First the CHIPPING SPARROWS I reported earlier.
Then I took out the garbage and took my binocs on down to the lake.
To begin with, we normally have anywhere from 0-200 CANADA GEESE down there.
Right now I would guesstimate about 500. Then I started looking in, around
and among the geese and found 17 HOODED MERGANSERS. They were clearly
mergansers and not hooded warblers. Hooded species can be hard to sort out
but that's an easy one.
Also found half a dozen MALLARDS, and 2 RINGNECKS.
Then the surprise - 2 HORNED GREBES. Definitely not horned larks- the latter
are seldom found actually in a lake. Again, it helps to know your habitats.
In the 23 years we have lived here I doubt if we have seen 23 Horned Grebes
on that lake.

These are unusual sighting for this late in the year. The lake is usually
frozen by now and that keeps everybody out. Including me.

Jerry Tarbell
Thawed out in Carroll County