Date: 2/17/25 8:20 pm From: Joseph Neal <0000078cbd583d7c-dmarc-request...> Subject: Eared Grebe at Beaver Lake
Low wind and calm water resulted excellent viewing conditions during a trip to north side of Beaver Lake today. I observed an EARED GREBE along with expected Horned Grebes. I included photos of the EAGR with my eBird submission: https://ebird.org/checklist/S214188821.
At times there was a HORNED GREBE and a female COMMON GOLDENEYE nearby, allowing good comparisons.
This observation was from Slate Gap Road, where it overlooks old Glade community, buried with impoundment of White River and creation of Beaver Lake (1960s). We’ve seen a few EAGRs in the past, but not for a couple of years in my case.
There were two adult BALD EAGLES at a nest in vicinity of the dam. It’s a long ways off, but with a scope I was able to see one adult on the nest and a second adult perched adjacent.
A bit of early afternoon sun illuminated to stunning brilliance the plumage of a male EASTERN BLUEBIRD that flew over me to a close perch. I thought at that point that I had about seen it all when I heard a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, then observed as it perched on a rotting limb of a persimmon tree covered with immaculate golden lichens.
I spent a few minutes just taking in that sun.
It’s all but done.
Polar Vortex 10 is coming on.
