ML559668421

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

2 individuals photographed, including with Pied-billed Grebe (PBGR). Seen by Bob Honig and Al & Kathie Shultz. On water in NE corner of KPC Manor property. Very small grebe, much slighter (less than 50% body mass) than immediately adjacent PBGR. One individual appeared to be in breeding plumage: generally plain, dark charcoal gray, darker on throat; thin, dark bill; bright yellow eye; secondaries and proximal primaries white, most distal primaries pale gray (flight feather description from photos taken of bird running over water while flapping wings). Second individual similar, except some feathering on front of next was a bit paler (possibly moving into nonbreeding plumage?). Initially swimming including feeding pretty much in open with some scattered vegetation, with 2 PBGRs; they swam off (including a bit of flapping/running over water) after our closest approach. Third individual similar; seen only by K. Shultz, swimming/skulking around edge of near-shoreline vegetation and only briefly in view. Viewed for at least 15 minutes with closest approach about 100 feet.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 30D

ISO

800

Focal length

300 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/13.0

Shutter speed

1/1250 sec

Dimensions

959 pixels x 640 pixels

Original file size

235.86 KB