Horned Grebe

[kastern]

My husband just came back from his nightly bike ride to the end of Morris Valley Road and reports that about half way along the section where the road runs right beside the water, he saw a Horned Grebe with 6 babies! I have never seen a Horned Grebe in this area period! and with 6 babies! I've checked and they can, apparently lay up to 7 eggs. Lets hope the weather is co-operative this coming weekend so we can get out in the canoe and try to find it and confirm this sighting. It'll be another species for the Chehalis Estuary.

Kathy

[Gord]

That would be a great record! Breeding no less!
Hope you find them again for confirmation! That would be cool.

[kastern]

Yesterday we spent a total of almost 7 hours out in the canoe, part of the time looking for that Horned Grebe. We went out in the morning for about 3 1/2 hours and again late in the afternoon until about 7:30. - Like looking for a needle in a haystack! Normally, during canoeing season the water in the Chehalis Estuary is in set channels so waterfowl have to be in those channels and other birds on the shore. Well this year, at least right now, there is no shore anywhere, it's all water. Needless to say, we did not spot the Grebe or anything else that might have been mistaken for it.

Here is a list of what we did see and if someone had been with us who is better at identifying birds by their calls, I'm sure this list could be almost doubled because we sure heard a lot, including one call that I'm sure I've never heard before.

Bullock's Oriole - only on the Eagle Point side - the north side of the area we didn't hear one.
Swallows - so many swallows it was like it was raining swallows - Tree Swallows & Barn Swallows the predominant ones but also lots of Northern Rough Wing and a few Violet Green.
Yellow Warblers - in all the partially submerged willows
Red Wing Blackbirds - lots in the partially submerged willows and hardhack bushes
Common Yellow Throat - there must be hundreds of them out there! they are everywhere!
Marsh Wren - almost as many as there are Yellow Throats
American Bittern - heard at least one, possibly two. Circled the island of vegetation that one was obviously in, but he stayed hidden.
Osprey - two
Bald Eagle - Three
Ravens - there is a nest up on the hillside with some very vocal youngsters in it.
Crows - seven - on the north side in the pine trees.
Herons - saw at least 5 including a pair up in a tree that at first I though might contain a nest, but it was just a tangle of branches.
Kingfisher - one for sure, possibly two (or might have been the same one)
Hummingbirds - heard quite a few when we got up into the more forested areas.
Spotted Sandpiper - saw 3 flying and later one was walking along the bank of Morris Valley Road.
Canada Geese - at least 50 including one hybrid and one set of goslings
Goldfinch - 2 on the north end but there are lots on the Eagle Point side
Robins - a few, mainly heard and in the pine trees on the Nature Trust land.
Swainson's Thrush - saw a pair chasing each other around one of those pine trees
Wilson's Warbler - saw one female with some nesting material
Song Sparrow - saw a couple and heard more.
Cedar Wax Wings - seemed like hundreds as soon as you get up into the quiet areas that are really overgrown with vegetation. They were everywhere.
Mallard - saw one Mallard and heard, what had to be a female, invisible in the bushes.
Wood Duck - saw one male way up one of those quiet, forested areas.

This morning we drove along Morris Valley Road, thinking that the Grebe might be out and visible in the pouring rain - but again - no such luck.

Kathy