Another Red-necked Grebe has crash landed in southern Ontario, this time on the snow-covered ice of Oudaze Lake, just east of Novar in north Muskoka District. On Thursday morning, 27 February, teenagers Jay and Ben Sturgeon noticed this bird "floundering" in the snow not far from the bird feeder at their home near the shore of the lake. The bird had been initially discovered by the family cat, which did not harm it. The Sturgeon boys traced the bird's trail in the snow back to where it had landed on the frozen lake, probably during the previous night.
The bird was placed in a pet carrier cage, fed sardines, and kept until this morning (1 March), when it was brought to Huntsville for release in the Muskoka River. I was notified of this event, and confirmed the identification prior to the bird's release in a large open area of the river below The Locks. The grebe preened, dived, and flapped its wings after release, appearing to be in good condition. The boys and the grebe were photographed at the release site by a reporter from The Huntsville Forester newspaper, who had been notified. The average spring arrival date for Red-necked Grebe in nearby Algonquin Park is 27 April (19 years). However, some occasionally return to the lower Great Lakes in mid to late February, and are believed to be early migrants from wintering areas along the Atlantic coast (Ron Pittaway, pers. comm.; Bob Curry on Ontbirds). Such an early arrival appears to be underway this year, with the many recent sightings reported on Ontbirds. A few of these Red-necked Grebes head even farther north, with some becoming stranded when unable to find open water (as with this week's Pembroke and Muskoka birds). Other grebe species are known to "crash land" like this as well. One "wreck" of Eared Grebes in southern Utah within an 11-day span during bad weather in January 1997 involved the downing of an estimated 35,000 birds (see Auk 116(1): 178-183). Huntsville is located on Highway 11, a 2.5-hour drive north from Toronto via Highways 400 and 11. Novar is a few kilometres north of Huntsville, on Highway 11. Ron Tozer Dwight, Ont. [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Ron " <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
