Western/Clark's Grebe - Matt Felperin

ML285305821

Western/Clark's Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis/clarkii

Report

Contributor

Date

Location

Loch Raven Reservoir--Dulaney Valley Road Bridge
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Media from this location Illustrated Checklist
Map
Map Coordinates: 39.4620412, -76.5836763
Age
Not specified
Sex
Not specified

Observation details

***Mega rarity found by Alina Martin and Johnnie Ramos yesterday evening! Still confirming species but at least one appears to be a flat out Western Grebe. The fact that the birds are in non-breeding plumage makes ID increasingly difficult. The lighter gray plumage surrounding the eye and dull olive/yellow bill is standard for Western Grebe, the larger male bird. The thin strip of bright white between the eye and loral area on the smaller female bird as well as whitish flanks indicates Clark’s, but the bill appears to be intermediate in color and lacks the vibrance and orange spot at the base of the lower mandible. In breeding season, this bird would most certainly be considered a hybrid, but it’s apparently not readily identifiable as such in the winter. Hoping the mystery will be solved!!

Technical information

Model
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
Lens
EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
ISO
1600
Focal length
400 mm
Flash
Flash did not fire
f-stop
f/5.6
Shutter speed
1/320 sec
Dimensions
1426 pixels x 802 pixels
Original file size
323.37 KB