I've been back to look for this bird three times with a camera since I posted it on 4/28, to no avail. I'm going out there again late this afternoon. I spent some time at the SCVAS Office looking through bird books in the library. I found a bird that looks just like what I saw from photos, and found more photos online. The friend who was with me at the time in Sunnyvale, immediately picked out this bird from three pages of grebe photos I showed her. However, if this is what we saw, I wish it were seen by others as well. The breeding plumage Great Grebe lives in South America. Suggesting I consider an eye exam soon might be the kindest of responses.
The bird drawing in the book I borrowed from SCVAS shows the faint eye stripe. The photo on the webpage below does not. Also, we did not get a look at the tail area. Otherwise the bird on the left in the photo on the webpage below is a dead ringer for what we saw. The size, coloration, and proportions are correct, also. I estimated 18" at the time, but that was probably a low estimate. It was about 1 3/4 times the size of the Pied-billed Grebe in the channel behind us, but definitely somewhat smaller than a Double-crested Cormorant. http://www.worldbirder.com/photo/photo.asp?PID=2304
It's fine if you tell me it's impossible. I just wish that either I had my camera at the time or someone else had seen it. And finally, thanks to all who responded to my initial post, but no, it definitely was not a Eared Grebe or a Horned Grebe. I have seen both many times over the last thirty-two years. This was an altogether different bird.
Thanks!
Dotty Calabrese
Mountain View
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