At 7:50 pm Monday, March 4, this grebe was swimming and diving on the
far side of the pond from the lookout on the knoll in the Rattray Marsh
Conservation Area where I was. It had a fan of yellow feathers behind
the eye with black head showing above, behind and below the fan. The
eye was red, the neck was very dark, as was most of the bird. Although
the light was dimming and the bird was not in the sun, the sun was
shining on the cattails a bit further over. The entire Toronto skyline
was on fire (gorgeous!), so there was still a lot of warm light to
highlight any yellow or red colour. I did not see a hint of reddish on
the neck or body. I saw no high central crest on the head. It was high
more toward the back of the head similar to the picture of the breeding
bird eared grebe in the water in the Nat Geo Birds of N. Am. or for that
matter like the horned grebe above it, if you ignore the yellow
feathers. I did not see yellow feathers in the configuration of the
horned grebe in that picture. The yellow feathers were on the face not
at the top or back of the head. A couple times I saw what appeared to
be 2 bumps at the top back of the head as one might think a horned bird
might have but I don't know if they do or if the name comes strictly
from the yellow feathers. Just before I left, a pied-bill popped up but
dove before I had a chance to ID the attached bird. So, there may have
been more than one grebe. Or perhaps it had something in or on it's
bill. Sorry for the late post.
Rattray Marsh Cons. Area is on Lake Ontario between Mississauga Rd and
Southdown Rd, south of Lakeshore Rd at the foot of Bexhill Rd. Follow
Bexhill down into the CA and continue straight onto the trail around the
knoll to the lookout. Or walk along the Waterfront Trail toward Toronto
and out to the beach and walk back to the outlet of Sheridan Creek where
you will be opposite the knoll lookout.
Kirsten Burling
Mississauga
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