[SBB] Ducks, grebes and blackbirds at Shoreline

[Mark Bohrer <[[email protected]]>]

The sun rises ever sooner and it's time to set the alarm even earlier to 
catch the best light!

Shoreline Lake yielded the usual coots, a few common goldeneyes, 
pied-billed grebes, ruddy ducks, surf scoters, greater scaup and 
ring-billed gulls anywhere from one to over four years old. But I was after 
the eared grebe in magnificent breeding plumage Tom Grey photographed over 
the weekend and reported here.

Shoreline's gregarious horned grebes (http://tinyurl.com/3rvo6) have 
already left for Canadian and Alaskan breeding grounds. Most of the eared 
grebes are gone too, but stay later since they breed and nest further south 
and don't have as far to go.

Like their horned cousins, eareds wear somewhat drab winter plumage: 
http://tinyurl.com/6qjnb  But both sexes become strikingly-colored to 
attract each other for breeding This guy decided to stare me down: 
http://tinyurl.com/4nc79

Bring your scope and tripod to watch these guys in close-up action. 
Going... http://tinyurl.com/6qmyw  Going... 
http://tinyurl.com/5bb9j  ...Gone! http://tinyurl.com/3q989

Shoreline's loaded with red-winged blackbird males calling, displaying and 
eating. This guy snagged some tender grass:
http://tinyurl.com/4wv5f

And Shoreline's California ground squirrels have started to wake up: 
http://tinyurl.com/45jfc


Mark Bohrer
Mountain and Desert Photography
www.mountain-and-desert.com
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