Saw the Eared Grebe after working the Poolesville sector of the Seneca Christmas count, around 1 p.m. Seen from the parking lot near the Route 121 Bridge associating closely with a mixed flock Bufflehead and Hooded Mergansers.  
 
Tom Stock 
Silver Spring, Md.  
 
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry 
 
-----Original Message----- 
From: Mark Johnson <> 
Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding <> 
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 12:05:51  
To: <> 
Reply-to: Mark Johnson <> 
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Eared Grebe still present at 9:45AM 
 
I located the Eared Grebe at Black Hill Regional Park from the short path that leads down the hill to the water from the parking lot next to the bridge. He was in with a mixed flock of Buffleheads and Hooded Mergansers pretty far out in the lake in the direction of the visitors center. The sun came out for a bit, so I had nice clear looks with the scope, but he was too distant for decent photos. This was the first time I'd seen this species and the first thing that struck me about the bird was how high it sits out of the water. When he wasn't diving, he was easy to pick out because of the high-arching, rounded back. I had tried finding him from the visitors center and the boat ramp without success before heading to the bridge. I counted fourteen male Redhead and there were roughly the same number of females, viewable from the boat ramp, along with many Ring-necked, Ruddy, Coot, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, a few Widgeon, Canvasback, Gadwall and Common Merganser. Lots of Canada Geese and several mixed-up looking domestic geese...and a single Bald Eagle flyover. Lots to see. 
 
Mark Johnson 
Aberdeen, MD