ML132912631

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Shortly after we began scanning the lagoon, Dick spotted this bird as it foraged by diving just off the southern shore. We then spent a short time studying the grebe, and I even took a few photos for documentation. This was a small grebe, yet it appeared a little larger than a nearby Eared Grebe, and it had both a stouter body and a proportionately larger head. Close inspection further revealed that its bill was both shorter and a little stouter than that of the Eared Grebe, that the head was larger overall, that the forehead was more sloping, and that the crown had a somewhat flatter appearance. The neck also seemed to be a little heavier than that of the Eared Grebe. Even more conspicuous than this bird's structural differences was the sharp contrast between the blackish cap and the white that extended across the lower part of the face, throughout the auriculars, and then back onto the sides of the neck to nearly pinch off a narrow, dark stripe that ran down the back of the neck. I think the foreneck was relatively pale, but I cannot now recall if it was whitish or gray, and apart from thinking that what was evident of the body and closed wings was dark, yet not truly black, I am now having a hard time remembering much about the plumage of the body. The bill was primarily gray, but at times I thought I could see some suggestion of a paler tip. I am less sure if I ever noted the color of the eyes, but I am confident that I never saw the legs or feet on a bird that was seen exclusively in the water and at times diving just offshore.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D

Lens

EF400mm f/5.6L USM

ISO

400

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/8.0

Shutter speed

1/1000 sec

Dimensions

920 pixels x 634 pixels

Original file size

509.16 KB