For what it's worth, this afternoon I scanned the lake from Treman Marine Park with very good viewing conditions - calm, sun behind me, air temperature somewhat above water temperature, and saw ZERO grebes of any kind, although I did see 1 RED-THROATED LOON and at least 4 COMMON LOONS
I think the lighter of the two grebes Tom photographed at Twin Oaks looks like the one I saw in the southwest area of the lake. I saw a similarly extensive and bright white patch on the secondaries, and noted pale flecks on the flank. The whitish loral spot on the lighter Twin Oaks bird was present on both the Myers bird and the one in the southwest part of the lake. Points in favor of Western Grebe for the bird in the southwest part of Cayuga Lake include: broad dark hind-neck (photo by Gary Kohlenberg), vocalizations (notes by Gary Kohlenberg), dull bill with dark line on top and below. I have no experience with these birds in winter, so I'm not trying to argue one way or the other, just summarizing some points. I'll be surprised if there are actually 3 birds, but then again I'm surprised by just one!
It is apparently inconclusive if there has been 2 or 3Western-type Grebes on Cayuga Lake. Tom Johnson'squestion of Western X Clark's Grebe isintriguing since one of the two birds he and Jayhad looks similar to the one at the southern endof the Lake that I photographed on Saturday.When I saw Chris Wood's photos, his bird struckme as being darker like the other bird Jay andTom had. Anyway...Chris Wood's are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinicola/6673386795/in/photostream/Tom's are here: http://www.flickr.com/bonxie88Are they the same birds? or impossible to tell?In any event, 2 western grebe's or 1 westernand 1 western x clark's is amazing....3 of thesebirds is unfathomable!Dave Nicosia--Cayugabirds-L List Info:Archives:Please submit your observations to eBird!--
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